BTDTL Volume 7: The Tournament of Light
by AndrewK9000
Summary: The Keyblade Wielders enter a grand tournament in order to help Ranma Saotome, the son of their teacher. At the same time, a lone maniac seeks to kidnap Hannah Montana, AKA Miley Stewart, who happens to be Kairi's penpal. Who will survive?
1. Chapter 1: Sensei's Return

Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my seventh Kingdom Hearts fic and I hope you like it! Okay, this time around the action is taking place on the Earth that Sora, Riku and Kairi live on. This is an Earth that also includes Ranma ½, one of the funniest manga and anime shows ever, as well as Hannah Montana, one of the funniest live action shows on Disney Channel. This takes place after the end of the series for Ranma ½, while taking place just before the episode 'He Could Be the One' in Hannah Montana. For Sora, Riku, Kairi, and their new friend Aiden Mackenzie, about a month has passed since their wild world-hoping adventure that ended in Volume 6.

You should know that I started writing this fic before the start of the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana, and even though said events of said season changed everything so far for that show, I won't be using said events in this story. Eventually they will play a part in the future of my Kingdom Hearts series, but not in this fic.

Now I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Ranma ½ or Hannah Montana. I do own the rights to the character Aiden Mackenzie, as well as the other original characters that will be seen in this story, so please don't sue me.

On another note, some of you may feel that my story will deviate from the way things work with Ranma ½, with character interaction and such. This story is my way of venting my frustration at certain characters in that manga/anime who have had their way for far too long. In this fic, six characters will finally have some sense pounded into them, while one, whom should be ranked among the Disney Villains, if only for being a pervert and an overall pain in the ass, will finally get his just deserts. And there will be one character who, having suffered through 36 manga volumes (38 in Japan) seven anime seasons, 13 OVA episodes, two feature films and god knows how many cannon fan fiction stories of abuse from those around him, he will finally say 'Enough!'

I'm sure there's plenty of readers out there who won't like what I've done with this story. They may also be annoyed by the changes I've made in the back-story of Ranma ½ so that it'll fit more with Kingdom Hearts. That's your opinion if you don't like it, but if so then don't read it. Just remember, **THIS IS FANFICTION!**

And now, without further delay, please enjoy…

**Kingdom Hearts: Beyond the Door to Light**

**Volume 7: The Tournament of Light**

**By AndrewK9000**

**Chapter 1: Sensei's Return**

"A kangaroo," said Kairi.

"No, it doesn't," said Sora.

"It so does look like a kangaroo," said Kairi as she and Sora sat on the beach of Destiny Island, looking at the clouds. It had been a month since the two of them and Riku returned to their world after their world-hoping adventure where they met their new friend and fellow Keyblade Wielder, Aiden Mackenzie, as well as discovered the identities of two of the new seven Princesses of Heart.

"I'm looking at that cloud," said Sora, "and I'm telling you, it doesn't look like a kangaroo."

"You have to look past it," said Kairi, "let your eyes get unfocused, then it'll look like a kangaroo."

Sora did as Kairi asked, "oh, it does sort of look like a kangaroo." he then pointed to another cloud, "now that one looks like a Little Pony."

"No it doesn't," said Kairi.

"It does," said Sora, "you see the mane and the tail? And that empty spot in the back could be a symbol for her name. Roxas, tell me that looks like a Little Pony to you."

_:How should I know?: _Roxas asked, _:It's all clouds to me:_

_:Well I think it does look like a Little Pony to me: _said Naminé, _:A unicorn Pony at that:_

"Oh now I see it," said Kairi as she tilted her head, "it does look like a unicorn Pony."

"Thank you," said Sora.

_:Any time: _said Naminé.

The last world Sora and his friends visited was an alternate Earth, where in a parallel Tokyo, they encountered a creature that was part Heartless, part monster that had the power to steal their essences in the forms of crystal hearts. Sora and Kairi were left catatonic, while Riku and Aiden were left standing to get the stolen heart crystals back.

They had help in the form of the Sailor Senshi, five female warriors of love and justice who had had experience battling such monsters. Also helping was Roxas and Naminé, whom emerged from their 'somebodies' after Sora and Kairi were struck down.

Afterwards, with the hybrid Heartless destroyed and Sora and Kairi revived, Roxas and Naminé went back into their original forms, but they left Sora and Kairi with the knowledge that they could communicate with their Nobodies anytime they wished, assuming they ever learned how to listen for them, which they eventually figured out.

_:I still don't see it,: _said Roxas.

_:Well maybe you're just not looking right,: _said Naminé.

_:I see whatever Sora sees,:_ said Roxas, _:if he sees a unicorn Pony, then he sees it, but for some reason, I don't.:_

"I guess I'm just special," said Sora.

"That's clearly true," said Kairi.

"And you're just as special," said Sora. He kissed her then, and she kissed back.

Finally they stopped kissing and stood up, "so, what do you want to do next?" Sora asked, "We have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves, and of course there's still the rest of vacation."

"Anything I do with you is like the best vacation," said Kairi.

_:Aren't they so cute together?"_ Naminé asked Roxas.

_:Makes you wonder why they waited as long as they did before they got together,: _said Roxas.

"I can hear you both, you know," said a slightly annoyed Sora.

"We still need to work out some privacy issues," said Kairi. One of the downsides of being able to communicate with their Nobodies was that they could now hear everything Roxas and Naminé said. But it also had its benefits that Sora and Kairi found very enjoyable.

_:But we have our own privacy now,: _said Sora to Kairi.

_:And it's something Riku really doesn't like,: _said Kairi. She then spoke aloud, "and neither did Aiden like it. You saw how green with envy they both got when they realized that we can now communicate telepathically."

"I couldn't stop laughing when they nearly passed out from trying to talk with their minds," said Sora. He then got serious, "I really do hope they can learn to do it. Even though I love our silent talks, it just wouldn't be fair to keep that power to ourselves."

"You're right," said Kairi, "we're all in this together. We're all Keyblade Wielders, so we should all stand together evenly."

"Yeah," said Sora, "but there's really nothing we can do to help them. We had a huge head start."

_:Ourselves you mean,: _said Roxas, referring to himself and Naminé.

_:Riku and Aiden will be able to talk silently,: _said Naminé, _:just give them time.:_

_:Time isn't something we don't have a lot of,: _said Kairi, "I feel like Maleficent is just itching to attack us."

"She can't," said Sora, "I sealed our worlds' Keyhole. The Heartless can't attack our homes ever again." He then switched to silent speech, _:and I will never allow anything to happen to you, Kairi, I promise.:_

_:And I won't let anything happen to you either, Sora,: _said Kairi.

Just then Sora's cell phone rang, the caller ID showing that it was Riku, "what's up?"

"Something really big, Sora," said Riku, "you and Kairi should get back to town and meet me and Aiden at my house. You'll never believe who just showed up."

"The King?" Sora asked, while Kairi listened intensely.

"No," said Riku, "this someone is definitely from our world, and is someone we both haven't seen in a long time."

"Then who is it?" Sora asked.

"Yeah right," said Riku, "like I'm going to spoil the surprise. Just come over and see for yourself, you won't believe your eyes." With that he hung up.

"What was that about?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," said Sora as he tried to think of someone he hadn't seen in years, someone that he and Riku knew, but no one came to mind.

"Well I guess the only way to find out is to go to Riku's place and see who it is," said Kairi, "I am invited to, right?"

"That's what Riku said," said Sora, "and Aiden is coming to."

"Then let's go!" said Kairi, "last one to the boat has to swim to the mainland!" with that she ran towards the rowboat that brought them to the island.

"Hey!" exclaimed Sora as he took after her.

_:No way we're letting her win!: _said Roxas.

_:Just try and catch us!: _said Naminé.

As Sora chassed after Kairi, he thought back over the past month, his dates with Kairi, each more memorable than the last, his occasional practice sessions with Riku, Kairi and Aiden, just to stay in shape, and of course, just enjoying the peace and quite of not having to save a world.

Yet despite the good times, Sora and the others knew that it wouldn't last, that it would be only a matter of time before The Heartless would mad their next move, that Maleficent would unleash her latest diabolical scheme on the universe, and that they would have to once again stand against the darkness.

As if this wasn't enough to potentially ruin a good day. Twice since they came home, Sora, Riku and Kairi, and Aiden now, all had a shared dream where they were chasing after a very cute and very fast girl through some rain soaked forest, a girl who ran with a pack of very large wolves.

Sora and his friends were convinced that the dreams meant something important, that this girl, whom they dubbed 'The Girl Who Runs With Wolves,' is someone they have to talk to, assuming they ever catch up with her.

But that was a concern for another day. Our heroes were determined to enjoy what time they had before they had to get back to the business of being heroes, or rather, Junior Heroes.

Sora managed to catch up with Kairi just in time to make the race a tie, so both of them remained dry on the trip back to the mainland. But then the second they tied the boat up at the dock, Sora then ran for Riku's house, "last one there buys pizza for dinner!"

"You're paying for an extra-large with the works!" Kairi shouted after him as she ran to catch up.

_:Hold the anchovies,:_ said Naminé, _:I hate anchovies:_

_:And make sure there's extra green peppers and mushrooms,:_ said Roxas.

It was a tie again as they reached Riku's house, "looks like we're splitting the bill again," said Sora.

"I'll let you pick the side orders," said Kairi, "curly fries or cheese fries?"

"Buffalo Wings," said Aiden as he ran up to them, "with extra sauce."

"How's the apartment search going?" Kairi asked.

"Not well," said Aiden, "money is not a problem, I can make as much gold as I want, within reason that is, and then sell it for cash and put that in my own bank account. The trouble is that I just can't find a place that I really like."

"Well I hope you find a home of your own real soon," said Sora, "not that I don't mind you as a house guest, but you should have your own place."

"I know," said Aiden, "so, what's this about someone that Riku wants us to meet?"

"We're about to find out," said Kairi as she rang the doorbell.

"Door's unlocked!" shouted Riku from within.

Sora, Kairi and Aiden went inside and found Riku in the living room. With him was a woman in her late 30's to early 40's with long reddish brown hair tied back in a bun with a blue bow. She had brown eyes and wore a pale blue kimono. Next to her was a large katana sword.

Sora's eyes went wide with recognition, "Nodoka Sensei!" he hastily bowed in respect.

"Hello, Sora," said the woman, Nodoka, as she bowed in return, "I'm glad you remember me after so long."

"It's been nearly four years, Sensei," said Sora.

"And I do regret not visiting my two favorite students," said Nodoka, "I trust that you and Riku are well."

"I'm well enough," said Riku, "as for Sora, well, let's just say he's had more than his fair share of trouble, both getting into and causing it."

"Hey, part of those troubles are your fault to, you know!" said Sora.

"Who is this person?" a confused Aiden asked.

"Oh, now I remember," said Kairi, "you're the one who taught Sora and Riku."

"Aiden Mackenzie," said Riku, "this is our Sensei, Nodoka Saotome, one of the best swords masters in the world."

"I'm not that special," said Nodoka, "just a gifted woman who wishes to teach the beauty of swordplay to a world that has become obsessed with guns and bombs and other horrific ways of killing each other."

"Where as killing someone with a sword is more personal but less messy, so to speak," said Aiden.

"Oh, he can banter," said a smiling Nodoka, "you've found quite the clever friend on your travels, Sora."

"He sort of found us," said Sora, "wait, what do you mean my travels?"

"While I had been kept away from this town because of various matters," said Nodoka, "I have kept tabs on you and Riku, and from what I heard, you two, and Kairi, are quite the heroes."

"Junior heroes," Sora said automatically, filling in for Goofy, whom was with Donald back at Disney Castle, helping The King and Queen keep a watch out for movements of The Heartless.

"But your skills in the art of the sword are surely beyond that of the junior level," said Nodoka, "or have you allowed yourselves to slack off in my absence?"

"Definitely not, Nodoka Sensei!" said a determined Sora, "just let me find my old practice sword and we'll see who's been slacking off!"

"Count me in to!" said Riku as he walked over to the hall closet where several of the old wooden swords he and Sora used to practice with were in storage.

"Leave those there, Riku," said Nodoka in a present but serious tone, "I wish to see you both at your best."

"You mean…?" Sora asked in a slightly nervous tone, "you know about…?"

"That you both have the legendary weapons known as Keyblades?" Nodoka asked, "yes, I've heard rumors about them, and I wish to see if they are true. Let's take this to the backyard, so that I may test you both and see if you are truly worthy of being my students," she stood up an picked up her sword, "and afterwards, I also wish to test young Kairi and Aiden, for I have heard that they are accomplished in the arts as well."

"What do we do?" Aiden asked.

"Well we can't refuse a sparring offer," said Kairi, "not from a great teacher like Nodoka Saotome."

A minute later found the four Keyblade Wielders and Nodoka in Riku's backyard.

"Let us begin then," said Nodoka as she drew her sword from its sheath and assumed a fighting stance, "you've seen my keen blade, now I wish to see yours."

"I never wish to disappoint my teachers," said Riku as he summoned his Keyblade, while Sora, Kairi and Aiden summoned theirs.

"Fantastic!" said an amazed Nodoka as she relaxed from her stance at the sight of the four Keyblades "absolutely fantastic! May I…"

Smiling at the usual reaction of someone seeing a Keyblade, Sora handed his to Nodoka.

"Perfectly balanced," said Nodoka as she held the Keybalde up and looked at it from different angles, "and it hardly weighs a thing. I can sense the power this Keyblade possesses, and how it can help focus the power of its chosen wielder," she looked at Sora, "is it true that a Keyblade can never be separated from its wielder?"

"I don't know," teased Sora as he summoned his Keyblade back to his hands out of Nodoka's, "maybe."

"Fantastic!" said Nodoka again. Her face then grew serious, "and now, Sora," she raised her sword, "let us see just how far the student has progressed."

"Ready when you are, Sensei," said Sora as he took up a fighting stance.

"Sora's got this won before it's even started," said Aiden, "a normal sword doesn't stand a chance against a Keyblade."

"You'll find that Nodoka Sensei isn't your ordinary swords master," said Riku.

Just then Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden all sensed an incredible power surging through Nodoka, a power that she channeled through her sword, causing the blade to glow bright blue.

"Ki energy," said Riku, "something Sora and I couldn't figure out when we were kids, but Nodoka Sensei is about to see that we're not the same kids as before."

"Let's go!" said Sora. He then ran headlong at Nodoka.

"Always so reckless," said Nodoka calmly. Sora then swung his Keyblade at Nodoka, but she blocked it easily. Sora tried a multiple strike combination, but each of his attacks were blocked by Nodoka. The teacher kept blocking the student's attacks effortless.

"How much longer are you going to hold to this futile course, Sora?" Nodoka asked, "I told you before that you'll never get anywhere if you keep banging your head against a brick wall."

"What?" Aiden asked.

"She's referring to Sora's headlong, straightforward method," said Riku, "and how it is useless against a well-grounded defense."

"Well if the straightforward won't work," said Sora as he smiled, "I'll try something else!" He then dashed to the left and feinted a stab to Nodoka's side. She didn't try to block, already anticipating the ruse.

Sora then tried feinting to the right, then the left again, but Nodoka refused to take the bait. Finally, Sora tried to attack for real. This time he struck from the left, then shifted to the right and then back to the left. Each time he tried to find an opening, Nodoka blocked it.

"Much better," said a smiling Nodoka as she kept blocking Sora's attacks, "you've grown in mind as well as body."

"That's not the only thing that's changed about me!" said Sora. He jumped back several paces, aimed his Keyblade at Nodoka and shot a Fireball at her.

Nodoka calmly sliced the Fireball in half with her sword, "so you have learned magic, excellent!"

"I've got plenty more where that came from!" said a smiling Sora as he shot a Blizzard spell, then a Thunder Spell. Nodoka dodged both the frosty blast and the barrage of lighting bolts.

"Come on, Sora," said Nodoka as she blocked another Fireball, "is this all you've got? What did I tell you about fighting beneath your abilities?" She then went on the offensive, forcing Sora back several paces as he barely managed to block her lighting-fast strikes and thrusts.

"You said that an enemy would always find a way to exploit an opponent who fought while holding back," said Sora

"Exactly," said Nodoka. She then kicked Sora's legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground.

"That's cheating!" exclaimed Kairi as Sora managed to get back up before Nodoka could attack him in his venerable state.

"With Nodoka Sensei," said Riku, "anything within reason goes. If you have the chance to knock your enemy down, take it."

"Just what kind of teachers do you have running around on this world?" Aiden asked.

"Most of them are decent educators," said Riku, "while some are pretty lousy. But there are some who are exceptionally great at their jobs. Nodoka Sensei is the best of the best, and that's saying something."

"You're still holding back, Sora!" said Nodoka as she tried to knock Sora down again, but he managed to stay on his feet this time, "I want to see you at your fullest!"

"You want my best!" Sora asked in a daring tone, "you got it!" Sora then moved so fast that he seemed to vanish. He in fact jumped up and over Nodoka. He turned around in midair just as he began falling back to the ground.

Nodoka sensed that Sora was about to attack from behind and above. She turned around just in time to raise her sword and block Sora's downward strike. But Sora was now on the full offensive, attacking much more fiercely.

Nodoka was barely able to keep up with Sora's intense strikes as he forced her to give ground. Finally, Sora swept his Keyblade up and dislodged Nodoka's sword from her hands. It landed point down in the ground several yards away.

"Is that what you were looking for, Nodoka Sensei?" Sora asked as he smiled, aiming his Keyblade an inch from her face.

Nodoka then smiled, "well done, Sora, very well done."

"Thank you, Sensei," said Sora as he vanished his Keyblade and bowed in respect, while Nodoka returned his bow with one of her own.

"That was amazing!" exclaimed Kairi as she ran over.

"Awesome!" said Aiden as he and Riku walked over.

"I'm glad you approve of Sora's progress," said Nodoka as she retrieved her sword and wiped the blade clean with a cloth.

"You were no slouch either, Nodoka Sensei," said Riku, "you're amazing as always."

"I'm happy you feel that way," said Nodoka as she smiled at Riku, "because you're about to get the same treatment."

"Lucky me," said a reluctant Riku.

A minute later found Sora with Kairi and Aiden as they watched Riku and Nodoka spar.

"Riku said something about Ki energy," said Aiden as he saw Riku block a side attack from Nodoka, then countered with a thrust attack, "is that like magic and Alchemy?"

"Yes and no," said Sora, "from what Sensei taught us, Ki is a latent energy that exists in all life forms. With the right training, one could use this energy for just about anything."

"Example," said Aiden.

"Ki can be used to heal yourself from nearly any kind of wound," said Kairi as they watched Riku parry a thrust from Nodoka, "and can be used to enhance speed and physical strength, as well as charge weapons with energy that can make them stronger and more effective," she winked at Sora, "remember, while you and Riku were constantly challenging each other, I was studying."

"How come you and Riku can't use Ki?" Aiden asked.

"It's not that we can't," said Sora, "not really, but…"

"It depends on the person trying to use it," said Kairi, "some people are naturally able to tap into Ki, while others need years, sometimes decades, to use even a hint of it," she looked at Sora, "my boys just happen to be in the category of those who need more practice."

"And we would have had it by now," said Sora, "if it weren't for a little problem called The Heartless."

Just then Riku succeeded in disarming Nodoka. "Outstanding, Riku!" exclaimed Nodoka, "and you won the match nearly twenty seconds faster than Sora did." She and Riku then bowed to each other.

"Being a year older helps sometimes," said Riku while Nodoka retrieved her sword.

"Well at least I got my Keyblade first," said Sora.

"Yeah," said Riku, he then gave a smug grin, "but you're still shorter than I am."

"That's enough, boys," said Nodoka, "now, Kairi."

"Yes?" Kairi asked as she nervously stood up.

"Yes, _Sensei_," said Nodoka, "I would have had you as my student before, but your parents insisted that I leave you alone. I wish to see what I could have done had they relented."

"Yes, Sensei," said Kairi in a nervous tone as she stepped forward with her Keyblade.

"Relax," said Nodoka as she gave Kairi a reassuring smile, "I only wish to see what you can do. Think of this as just another practice bout."

Kairi did loosen up a bit at that, but she was still nervous.

_:I understand why you're so strung out,: _said Naminé, _:This is the woman who taught Sora and Riku after all.:_

_:I want to make a good impression,: _said Kairi, _:But I've been fighting for only a few months, while Sora and Riku have been at it since they were little. They're on a whole other level than I am.:_

_:Just do your best,:_ said Sora to Kairi, _:You'll be fine, trust me.:_

_:He knows what he's talking about,: _said Roxas.

Kairi looked back at Sora and saw him smile at her. Kairi smiled back, _:Thank you.:_

She then faced Nodoka and bowed, "Okay, I'm ready, Sensei."

"Then attack me with everything you have," said Nodoka as she raised her sword, "show me what a Princess of Heart is made of!"

Kairi blinked in surprise, but then shrugged it off as she attacked, first taking the direct approach, then feinting to the left before jumping to the right for the real attack, which Nodoka blocked of course.

"She knows that Kairi was a Princess of Heart," said a stunned Aiden to Sora and Riku, "how'd she know that? You told me that nearly everyone on this world has no idea that the other worlds exist."

"It's obvious that Nodoka Sensei has some pretty reliable sources," said Riku.

Sora was silent as he watched Kairi duel Nodoka. The two of them seemed to be evenly matched, but in truth Nodoka had the upper hand. It was all Kairi could do to defend herself while still trying to seek an opening to exploit. But Nodoka's defenses were perfect against Kairi's best efforts.

"You can do it!" shouted Sora, "I believe in you!"

Kairi heard Sora's words but didn't take her eyes off of Nodoka. She then jumped to get behind Nodoka, but the older woman stepped to the side. Kairi nearly lost her balance as she landed, but quickly recovered, only to trip on a loose clump of grass as she tried to attack Nodoka. She fell to the ground and quickly tried to get back up, only to find Nodoka's sword barely an inch from her face.

"Good," said Nodoka as she smiled, "you always kept your eyes on your opponent and didn't let an outside distraction break your concentration. You're well balanced in both offense and defense, and you're ready to change your tactics to meet a changing situation."

Nodoka then sheathed her sword and bent down to look Kairi face to face, "but the reason why you lost wasn't because of inferior skill or strategy. Do you know why you lost?"

"I didn't believe in myself enough," said Kairi.

"You saw a superior fighter and you didn't think you could win," said Nodoka, "your heart said yes, but your mind said no, even though the purpose of the fight wasn't to win, but to try," she held out her hand to help Kairi up, "now, I want you to try, and try harder this time."

"Yes, Sensei," said Kairi as she took Nodoka's and she got back up. They then face each other again with their weapons out.

_I can do this, _thought Kairi, _I know I can do this._

_:You can do this,: _said Naminé.

"Okay," said Kairi, "here I go!" she then vanished, moving faster than the eye could see.

But then, Sora and his friends had eyes that weren't normal. They were able to keep up with Kairi as she moved behind Nodoka. The older woman bright her sword around to block and face Kairi.

But Kairi was fighting with renewed passion now, and within three strikes she had disarmed Nodoka.

"Fantastic!" said Nodoka as she smiled, "absolutely fantastic!" She bowed to Kairi.

"You were fantastic to, Sensei," said Kairi as she also bowed.

"You were both fantastic," said Sora as he ran over and hugged Kairi.

She hugged back, "you were no slouch yourself," said Kairi. She and Sora then kissed.

"I always knew you two were meant for each other," said Nodoka. She then looked at Riku, "just as I knew that your heart belonged to someone who was somewhere else."

"I'm okay with being single," said Riku, "I'll find true love whenever true love wishes to find me."

"Yes," said Nodoka, "sometimes it's best to let nature take it's course, even if that course tends to wind about for a while."

"All too true, Sensei," said Riku.

Nodoka then looked at Aiden, "and now for you, young Alchemist."

"Before we do anything else," said Aiden as he stood up, "with all due respect, Nodoka Sensei, but how do you know I'm an Alchemist? And how did you know that Kairi was a Princess of Heart? And how do you know about Keyblades? What's the deal?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Nodoka asked.

"Well…" said a slightly confused Aiden, "yes, I can keep a secret."

"So can I," said Nodoka as she winked.

"Okay," said Aiden in a hesitant manner. He then gave a look to Sora and Riku that said 'your sensei is nuts!'

But Aiden nonetheless stood on the field a few paces from Nodoka. He rubbed his wrists in his special manner, "alright then, let's do this!" he summoned his Keyblade and bowed to Nodoka, while she drew her sword and bowed back.

"Riku," said Aiden, "I hope you don't mind if I remodel your backyard a bit in this fight."

"Just put it back the way it was afterwards," said Riku.

"Easily done my friend," said Aiden. He then smiled at Nodoka, "I'll bet you've never had a fight like this!" he then jumped up. Reaching the full height of his leap, nearly twenty feet, he aimed his Keyblade at the ground under Nodoka and transmuted it into mud.

But Nodoka jumped to the side before the viscous mud could trap her up to her thighs. She then jumped up to strike at Aiden as he was falling back to the ground. He blocked her attack.

They both landed and rushed at each other. They met in the middle and traded sword strikes, both of them trying to take the advantage.

"Aiden sure has gotten good," said Kairi.

"He's truly one of us," said Riku, while Sora nodded in agreement.

"Outstanding!" said a smiling Nodoka as she and Aiden continued to trade strikes, "always seek the initiative when initiative can be found!"

"And always respect your opponent," said Aiden, "whomever of whatever that opponent may be!" He then lunged to the side, then jumped up. Nodoka jumped with him and they struck at each other in midair.

Just before they both landed, Aiden transmuted the air directly beneath Nodoka into a heavier gas, so she wound up dragging her feet for a second, but that second was enough for Aiden to slide in and disarm Nodoka.

"How's that for a slice of apple pie?" Aiden asked.

"I like my apple pie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce," said a smiling Nodoka, "you are a worthy opponent, and a worthy friend of Sora, Riku and Kairi." She bowed in respect, while Aiden bowed back.

"I also like ice cream with my pie," said Aiden, "but without chocolate sauce."

"To each their own," said Nodoka as she retrieved and sheathed her sword, "Now that that's taken care of, let's get down to business. First of all, I know your secrets because your parents told me, while Sora's mother told me about Aiden."

"Why would our parents tell you things we asked them to keep quiet?" Riku asked.

"Because I asked them nicely," said Nodoka, "I knew you and Sora were up to something incredible and something incredibly dangerous when I realized that for a year I had forgotten about you. And then I heard that Kairi had vanished, only to return with you both some time later.

"I contacted your parents as a concerned teacher, and they told me the truth. When I contacted them to tell them that I was coming to visit, they told me about Aiden. I must say, from what I've heard about your adventures on other worlds and your battles against The Heartless, I am very proud of all of you."

"That really means a lot to us, Nodoka Sensei," said Kairi.

"But why did you come back, Sensei?" Sora asked, "and why did you leave when you did?"

"I had affairs of a personal manner to take care of," said Nodoka, she sighed as if remembering something painful, "but let's not talk outside. If I am to tell you my story, let it be told in a more comfortable setting."

They all went back inside, and after preparing tea and snacks, sat down to hear Nodoka out.

"I suppose it began many years ago," said Nodoka, "when I realized that I had made a terrible mistake."

"What mistake was that, Sensei?" Riku asked.

"You're aware of the phrase 'it seemed like a good idea at the time?'" she asked. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden nodded, while Roxas and Naminé nodded in Sora and Kairi's minds.

"Well, marrying the man who is my husband seemed like a very good idea at the time," said Nodoka, "until I fully realized that my husband, Genma Saotome, is one of the most unscrupulous, most unethical, most dishonorable men in the world. Always he would come home from martial arts practice, or drunken brawls as I would soon learn, having dishonored the family name in one manner or another. Oh, he never cheated on me, he had enough honor to be faithful to our marriage, but in other matters he brought shame to our family on a regular basis.

"But I always forgave him for his drunkenness, for his reckless brawling, for his cheating honorable people just to get a free meal, and for everything else, all out of love. He and I adored each other in those years, and while we had our differences, we were happy.

"We were even more happy when our son, Ranma, was born. Even more so when an old friend of Genma, Soun Tendo, made an arrangement for Ranma to marry one of Soun's daughters when they were of age. I was on top of the world; I had a loving, if unscrupulous, husband, a beautiful son who, like his father, expressed a natural talent for martial arts at a very, very early age. He was practicing the family style; Saotome Anything Goes Style, within hours after Ranma first learned to walk. And as if to put icing and a cherry on the cake, Ranam's future as the heir to the family style, and a loving wife, was assured."

Nodoka sighed, then grew serious, "and then Genma had to ruin everything for me. He told me flat out that Ranam could never be the heir to the family style, could never be a true martial artist, could never be a real man, if he remained around me. He told me that my influence as a woman would corrupt Ranma's fighting abilities and make him unworthy to be any woman's husband. I thought Genma was drunk again when he said all of this; as if a mother's love would corrupt her only child. My husband had to have been drunk.

"But Genma was completely sober at the time and adamant about his resolve to take Ranma with him on a training journey that would last several years and traverse the world. I flat out refused, saying that a boy Ranam's age, barely more than a toddler, needed his mother more than ever. Genma wouldn't back down, saying that I had to give him up.

"Then Genma offered me a pact; in return for allowing Genma to take Ranma with him on the training journey, he would return with Ranma as a true martial artist, worthy to inherit the family style, worthy to be a husband, and most of all, to be a man among men.

"I still refused, but then Genma, remembering how skilled with the sword I was, said that if he failed to make Ranma a man among men, then they both would commit _Seppuku_."

"No way!" exclaimed a shocked and outraged Sora, Riku and Kairi, "no freaking way!"

"What's _Seppuku_?" Aiden asked, "is it bad?"

"It's ritual suicide," said a still outraged Riku, "long ago, when a samurai was confronted with an impossible situation, be it facing capture by an enemy, mortally wounded but still not close to death, or just overwhelmingly shamed, he would then commit suicide in a manner that preserved his honor.

"He would take a knife and stab himself in the belly, that being the place where the essence of the human soul resided, and then cut from one side to the other."

"Good gods!" exclaimed a shocked Aiden, "and they did this all the time!"

"Only when facing great shame," said Kairi, "to a samurai, honor was more important than life. The stabbing in the belly was called _Hari Kiri_. The _Seppuku _ritual involved a second samurai who decapitated the first samurai after he stabbed himself, thereby delivering a quick death after the initial agony."

"I was to be the one to put my husband and son out of their misery," said Nodoka. She placed her hand on her sword, "and this was to be the blade to do the damned deed. I still refused to agree to the pact, but Genma eventually wore me down; in those days he had a way of getting what he wanted through constant whining.

"Despite the wrongness of the situation, I still loved my husband enough to trust him. I signed the pact, believing that Genma would uphold his end of the bargain to the letter, if only to save his own life. He took Ranma, leaving me devastated."

She sobbed once, allowing a single tear to fall from her eyes. She then looked at Sora and the others, "you must think me a terrible mother to allow my own son to be taken away from me in such a manner."

"It is terrible," said Kairi, "but…I'm sure you thought it was for the best at the time."

"Another idea that seemed good then," said Nodoka. "yes, I still believed in my husband at the time, and I believed in the potential in my son, and I still do. I received letters from Genma regularly, all of them telling me of their wild escapades across the world and how Ranam was progressing as a martial artist and a man. I knew that Genma kept getting into trouble, while getting Ranma involved with his troubles as well. But I held out hope that Ranma wouldn't completely take after his father, that he would return not only as a man among men, but a man of honor.

"To alleviate my despair, I went on my own journey, traveling the world to teach swordsmanship to any child willing to learn," she looked at Sora and Riku, "I've taught hundreds of students all over the world, but you two were my favorites. I knew when I first saw you that you were more special than you realized," she looked at Kairi, "you as well," and then at Aiden, "and you to now that we've met.

"I kept returning to my home in Tokyo to read the latest letter from my husband and son, always wincing at their latest brush with dishonor, yet always smiling, for each letter brought me closer to the day I would see my son again.

"But then some time after Ranma's 16th birthday, while he and Genma were heading to a famous training ground in China, the letters stopped. For months I heard nothing, not a whisper of where they were, what they were up to, or even if they were alive.

"I nearly went mad with worry that they had gotten themselves into an impossible situation, or worse, killed. I then set out to find them myself. I took my sword with me, not just to protect myself, but to remind Genma, when I saw him, of the pact he forced me to sign."

"You wouldn't have done it, right?" a nervous Kairi asked, "carried out the Seppuku pact if you found out that Ranma wasn't a man among men, right?"

"Of course I wouldn't have!" exclaimed an outraged Nodoka, "what kind of heartless monster do you think I am?" Her saying the word 'heartless' caused Sora and the others to wince a bit.

"Forgive me," said Nodoka, "a bad example. I forgot that you four have been through hell and back many times over."

"We've had plenty of near death adventures," said Sora, "but we've always pulled through."

"Indeed you have" said Nodoka, "anyway, I only indented to remind Genma of the pact, not to go through with it. There are some things that transcend honor, and one of those things is a mothers' love for her child. I would have accepted Ranma even if he turned out to be another John Waters."

"Now that's stretching it!" said a giggling Kairi.

Riku saw Aiden's confused look, "I'll explain later."

"I eventually learned that Ranma and Genma were in Tokyo," said Nodoka, "that they were living at the Tendo Dojo for Anything Goes Martial Arts. Soun Tendo is the man whom promised one of his daughters to Ranma when they both came of age, and I learned that the one whom Ranma was engaged to was the youngest daughter, Akane.

"I arrived at the dojo and got acquainted with the Tendo family, but when I tried to find my husband and son, I only found a very large panda and a young woman with red hair, blue eyes and a very sensual figure."

"You've lost me," said Riku, while Sora, Kairi and Aiden nodded with agreed confusion.

"I was confuse myself as well," said Nodoka, "but I could sense that my son was near, call it mother's intuition if you will. I soon found out, through back channels, that the girl, who called herself Ranko, was indeed my son Ranma, and the panda, Mr. Panda, was Genma."

"How'd that happen?" a shocked Aiden asked, while Riku and Kairi sat with opened mouths.

"Did they meet a sorceress in China and got trapped in an enchantment?" Sora asked, thinking about what happened to The Beast.

"If only it were that simple," said Nodoka, "they weren't enchanted, but rather, cursed. That training ground they told me about in their final letter, Jusenkyo, has several natural hot springs, each containing it's own similar and unique curse. Anyone that falls into a spring is cursed, taking on the form of whatever creature, be it human or animal, that drowned in that spring long ago.

"Genma, whom is completely inept in Chinese writing by the way, landed in _Shonmaonīchuan_, 'Spring of Drowned Panda,' and Ranma fell into _Nyannīchuan_,'Spring of Drowned Girl.' Ever since then, whenever they touched cold water, the curses would activate and they'd become their cursed forms. Hot water would turn them back to normal."

"That must have terribly humiliating for both of them," said Kairi.

"Excruciatingly embarrassing," said Nodoka, "but it's worse. Genma still believed that I would uphold my end of the pact and force them to commit _Seppuku _if I found out about Ranma's curse. He thought that Ranma could never be a man among men if he kept turning into a girl. But again, I would have accepted my son even if he was cursed.

"But Genma had apparently added cowardliness to his list of faults. Every time I visited the Tendo house, he'd turn himself into a panda and turn Ranma back into a girl. I feigned ignorance, acting like I was in the presence of a pet panda and a real girl, in hope that my husband and son would eventually tell me the truth on their own, but secretly I was screaming on the inside at my husband's shame and my son's fear, for Genma had Ranma convinced that I would kill them both if I knew the truth.

"I left them to visit some of my students, then returned a few months later, hoping against hope that my husband had regained his backbone, but always he took the path of the coward, taking Ranma with him.

"But eventually the truth was revealed, and I assured my spineless husband that I was willing to accept my son, curse or no curse. Everything seemed to be heading for a happy ending, especially since Ranma and Akane decided to push their wedding ahead, with the parents consent of course.

"But I had failed to take into account just how terrible a situation my son was in. Not only had he had Akane as a fiancée, he also had acquired the affections of other girls, all of them hell-bent of having Ranma as their own. Some of these other girls, all of them highly accomplished martial artists in their own right, were nice enough, and some of them showed genuine affection to my son, while others merely wished to have Ranma as a trophy husband, thinking him as nothing more as a possession to show off to their peers.

"And then of course there was Akane, whom I now know to be completely unacceptable as Ranma's wife. I learned that Akane has an irrational loathing of boys in general, she even said out loud on several occasions that she hated Ranma.

"Akane and my son have been on several wild adventures since their engagement. Several times Akane has had her life threatened in one way or another, and Ranma always risked his life to save hers. But was she ever grateful? Not likely. Akane usually blamed Ranma for getting her into such a deadly situation, when most of the time it was her fault to begin with.

"Akane is also unable to fully trust Ranma. She is constantly accusing Ranma of being unfaithful, always saying that he flirts with other girls and has no right to be with anyone else, though she flirts with other boys. She is abusive, calling Ranma a pervert and a letch.

"As if these weren't enough faults to make her an unworthy wife, Akane is completely inept in the kitchen. As God as my witness, she is the worst cook in Japan, if not the world. Every time Akane tries to cook something, she ruins it, whether it's adding ingredients that make the concoction inedible, border lining on poisonous, or by completely ruining the recipe itself with her own ideas of what to make it better. She can't even boil rice without ruining it. And as always, she blames Ranma for her faults, as if he had anything to do with it.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Akane Tendo is a bad person. She can be a very nice, very sweet girl most of the time, when she's not blaming Ranma for her own faults. She's always willing to try harder to be a better cook, even though I'm convinced that endeavor is a lost cause. And she always, eventually, forgives Ranma for whatever it was she believed he did to make her angry, and deep down, she does care for him, yet she would never admit it public.

"All of this, being laden with an abusive fiancée and other fiancées who just won't leave him alone, would be more than enough for Ranma, not to mention such an embarrassing curse and an unscrupulous and dishonorable father. But my son also has the rotten luck of attracting male rivals, all of them also highly accomplished martial artists, whom are obsessed with defeating my son, if not destroying him completely."

"Good grief!" said Aiden, "I'd go crazy if I had to put up with all of that."

"Anyone should have went mad a hundred times over," said Nodoka, "but my son always pulled through whatever challenge he faced, always emerging victorious, always overcoming his enemy. My son has an uncanny ability that allows him to learn a new fighting technique in a fraction of the time it takes to learn it normally. And if that technique proves too difficult to learn, he invents his own technique to counter it. No matter what the challenge, even if it's a really embarrassing one, my son always faces it head on and emerges victorious."

"You son is quite the guy," said Kairi.

_:I wouldn't mind dating him,: _said Naminé.

_:Ahem,:_ said an annoyed Roxas.

_:Just kidding!: _said Naminé as she smiled mentally.

"You said that Ranma and Akane tried to get married," said Riku, "I take it that it didn't work out."

"For which I'm eternally grateful," said Nodoka, "I'm now completely convinced that Akane is unacceptable for my son. As his mother, it's within my authority to annul the arrangement, my husband's behavior alone has proven him completely irresponsible as a father.

"I could step in at any time and end the relationship before it gets worse, but my son feels himself responsible for Akane to the point that he was willing to do the right thing and marry Akane. If I step in it would only make things worse for him.

"Fortunately for everyone, Ranma had his friends, other fiancées and rivals, to help, in their own strange ways. The wedding was a complete fiasco and was called off before the actual ceremony could begin. Ranma and Akane said they were willing to wait to get married until they had settle their affairs.

"That was a few months ago, and since then things have been getting steadily worse for my son. Akane has become more and more abusive towards Ranma, regularly insulting him and hitting him with various blunt objects, ranging from a mallet to a schoolbag to a teakettle."

"She hits him?" a shocked Kairi asked.

"She's been doing that ever since they first met," said Nodoka, "ever since Akane discovered Ranma's curse. But she'd hit him only when she was really mad at him. Now she lashes out at Ranma at the slightest provocation. Sure, they're civil to each other in public, but whatever affection they had for each other, I'm sure it's gone now.

"I'm convinced that the only reason Ranma is staying with Akane is out of honor, that he feels obligated to remain with her, if only to protect her. But at the same time, Ranma's other fiancées, and his rivals, have become more hostile towards Ranma as well, either trying to win him for themselves or to destroy him.

"All of this is beginning to be too much for my son. He's slowly but surely sinking into a depression that will surely result in his own self destruction. He's losing his will to live, and there's nothing I can do to help him, not without making things worse that is."

"This is terrible," said Sora, "nobody should be in such a miserable situation."

"I'm starting to seriously dislike this Akane Tendo," said an irate Riku.

"And the others who have made Ranma miserable," said Aiden.

"What can we do to help?" Kairi asked.

"That," said a smiling Nodoka, "is the real reason why I've come to visit. I believe that if Ranma were presented with a real challenge, the likes of which he hasn't had for a long time, he will snap out his depression and regain his love for life. Even more, he will finally see Akane for what she is, an unacceptable girl who doesn't truly care for him at all, and will walk away as an independent man. There are some things that transcend honor, and ones own wellbeing is one of those things."

"You think that we could be that challenge?" Riku asked.

"That's only part of it," said Nodoka, "I don't know if you've heard, but in two months, there's going to be a grand tournament in Los Angeles, a competition for young martial artists from all over the world; The Tournament of Light."

"I've heard a bit about it," said Kairi, "it's supposed to be an attempt at world peace, where teenagers and young adults from all over the world get together and have fun kicking each others butts. The tournament is open to all forms of fighting; barehanded and with weapons, but no edged metal weapons, only wooden or plastic copies."

"That's the general idea," said Nodoka, "the winner will be hailed as the best young martial artist in the world. I tried to get Ranma interested, since being the best has always been an ambition of his, but his depression was too deep for him to care. Of course, Akane, whom is also obsessed with being the best, will be entering, as well as the other fiancées, and the rivals, which is one reason why Ranma doesn't want to compete, if only just to get a chance to be left alone for a while.

"However, if I were to tell Ranma that some of my best students would be entering, whom also managed to defeat me in a duel, I'm sure he'd want to see if he was better than them, if only to defend his mother's honor."

"So you're asking us to enter a tournament, just out of the blue," said Aiden, "just to help your son get a grip on his life?"

"That," said Nodoka, "but I was also hoping you'd accept the challenge. This tournament will be viewed around the world, with an expected audience of nearly 500,000,000. The winner will be haled as the greatest young martial artist, with the bragging rights and trophy to back that claim up."

"And you think we'd stand a chance against fighters from around the world?" Riku asked, "kids whom surely have years of professional fighting experience behind them?"

"I'm sure that the four of you," said Nodoka, "whom have stood against impossible odds several times, have a decent chance to make it to the final rounds. The top 32 fighters will get to fight in a grand arena that will seat nearly 200,000. Just making it to the final 32 will earn you incredible honors, and a sizeable cash prize. And think of the grand prize."

"I'm starting to like this idea," said Kairi, "to be one of the best fighters in our age group in the world, and a chance of being the absolute best, I'd take that chance."

"And if we'd get to help Sensei's son at the same time," said Sora, "it'd be totally worth it."

"I don't know about this," said Riku in a doubtful tone, "this isn't like a Heartless battle. We'd have to hold back a lot; some of our techniques could get someone hurt."

"I agree," said Aiden, "if we were to fight with our full abilities, with magic and alchemy, someone might accuse us of cheating."

"So we won't use magic or alchemy," said Sora, "not unless they say we can't."

"And we could easily make wooden copies of our Keyblades," said Kairi, "I'm willing to hold back a bit."

"I guess I could try it that way," said Aiden, he looked at Nodoka, "exactly what kind of prizes are we talking about?"

"The top 32 each receive a certified check for $10,000." said Nodoka, "those who make it to the 'Sweet 16' receive an additional $10,000. Those that make it to the 'Elite 8' receive fifteen thousand, the 'Final 4' get twenty thousand, the two finalists get another twenty grand and the winner of the tournament gets twenty-five thousand. Add it all together, and the winner walks away with not only bragging rights and a huge trophy, but with $100,000 in his pocket," she looked at Kairi, "or her pocket."

"That is a lot of money," said Riku in an appreciative tone, "with the right investments, it's an almost assured college education."

"Or just about any house one could want," said Aiden.

"I thought you said you didn't have to worry about money," said Sora.

"I can use Alchemy to turn led into gold," said Aiden, "but only in small quantities, like three or four ounces at a time. If I try to make any more than that, I risk paying a higher price than just energy. Remember, Equivalent Exchange applies to more than economics.

"And of course, once I have the gold, I have to be careful about who I sell it to without attracting attention. The last thing I need is for someone to think I'm a thief, or for someone to know I'm an alchemist. You guys told me that very few people in this world believe in magic, so how do you think someone would react when they learn that I can make gold?"

"They'd be on you like flies on garbage," said Nodoka.

"Exactly," said Aiden, "so count me in, Nodoka Sensei. I'll show your son what fighting is all about."

"And we'll show Ranma a thing or two that'll get his spirit back up," said Kairi.

"And who knows," said Sora, "maybe we could figure out how to get his other fiancées and rivals off his back. It couldn't hurt to try."

"I'm sure you'll do your best," said Nodoka. She then looked at Riku, "and you, Riku? Will you try to help my son, while also trying to win fame, fortune and glory?"

"I really don't know about this, Nodoka Sensei," said Riku, "I'd like to help Ranma, honest. And being recognized as the best in the world would be great, and a hundred-grand wouldn't be a bad addition either. But I just don't feel comfortable with this being watched all over the world.

"I'm not saying that I'm camera shy, because I've never been in front of a TV camera before, so I wouldn't know. But to have nearly half a billion people watching me? I…I just don't know."

"I understand," said Nodoka, "these events aren't for everyone." She sighed, "I'm sure your friends can handle it, and they'll be back to tell you about the guest commentator."

"What guest commentator?" Kairi asked.

"The final matches will have a celebrity commentator," said Nodoka, "someone known the world around. This guest will meet the top 32 at a special party before the final rounds begin."

"Who will the guest commentator be?" Sora asked.

"I'm sure you've heard of her," said Nodoka, "her music is on the radio all the time. The celebrity commentator is Hannah Montana."

"Hannah Montana?" exclaimed Riku as she stood up like a bullet, "Hannah Montana will be there!"

"I grantee that if you make it to the to 32," said Nodoka, "you'll get to meet her, shake her hand and receive an autograph CD of her latest album."

"Oh yeah," said Kairi, "I almost forgot that Riku is a Hannah Montana fan."

_:He never struck me as the type,: _said Naminé.

_:Me neither,: _said Roxas, _:but then, every somebody has their own tastes.:_

"I'll do it!" exclaimed Riku, "I'll enter the tournament!" he looked at Nodoka, "I'll help your son get a grip on his life Nodoka Sensei. But just so you know, if Ranma stands between me and meeting Hanna Montana, then Ranma is going down!"

"I'd expect nothing less from you, Riku," said Nodoka, "but I have every confidence you all will make it to the top 32 along with Ranma. The tournament is expecting to have thousands of contestants. The preliminaries, which also will be broadcasted on TV and seen through websites, will be large enough so that you probably won't get to meet my son until the party for the top 32.

"Oh, I almost forgot, you won't have to worry about getting hurt during a match. The sponsors for the tournament have their own medical experts on hand who guarantee that each fighter that advances to the next round will be completely fit to compete."

"How are they going to do that?" Sora asked.

"That's something you'll have to see for yourself," said Nodoka, "wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. So, will you four do this? Will you help my son?"

"You'd better believe we'll do it!" said Kairi, while Sora, Riku and Aiden nodded in agreement.

"I can't tell you how happy this makes me feel," said Nodoka as she smiled, "I'll go back to Tokyo immediately and tell my son. I'm sure he'll be interested enough to enter the tournament. As for you four, the registration deadline is tomorrow at noon, but you can register online," she wrote down the tournament website, "and the tournament is in two months. Leave all the arrangements to me, just focus on getting into shape for the tournament. I will be back in a week or so to help with your training. Remember, you'll be facing the best in your age group around the world, so work hard."

"We will, Nodoka Sensei," said Sora as he, Riku, Kairi and Aiden stood up when Nodoka stood up. They all bowed to each other, then Nodoka left.

"That was unexpected," said Aiden.

"And here I thought we would have some quiet time before our next adventure," said Sora.

"We still can have some," said Kairi, "the tournament isn't for another two months. We'll still have time for us after training."

"We won't have to worry about that if we don't register for the tournament," said Riku, "come on!" They hurried to his computer, found the website, entered their information into the online forms and sent them. Naturally they had to wait for their parents to come over to Riku's house in order to give their permission, which they did, thanks to another talk on the phone with Nodoka.

"We're now officially entered as contestants in The Tournament of Light," said Kairi as she read the response emails, "we've got just over sixty days to get into the best shape of our lives."

"With Nodoka Sensei helping," said Sora, "that tournament is as good as won."

"We'll plan out a schedule later," said Aiden, "but right now I could use some shuteye," he looked out the window and realized that it was past sunset, with the moon already up "that sparing match with Sensei really wiped me out."

"I think I'll turn in as well," said Sora, while Kairi yawned in agreement.

"Where are you going?" Riku asked as Aiden, Sora and Kairi headed for the door.

"Home," said Sora, "we'll start training in the morning."

"You won't make it to the top 32 with that attitude," said an annoyed Riku. He rushed to the hall closet and grabbed several practice swords, "come on, we're going to the island to train."

"But we just had that big sparing match with Sensei!" whined Sora.

"Haven't you had enough for one night?" Kairi asked.

"Not nearly enough," said Riku in an adamant tone, "now come on, we're wasting moonlight."

_:He must really want to meet Hannah Montana,: _said Naminé as Sora, Kairi and Aiden reluctantly followed Riku out of the house and towards the beach

"Gee, is it that obvious?" Kairi asked in a sarcastic tone. She then stopped, "oh, Riku, you mind if I went back and emailed a few people? I've been chatting with someone overseas and I'd like to let her know that I won't be able to talk to her for a while."

"Be my guest," said Riku, "but don't take too long, we've a lot of work to do."

"Yes, _master_," said an annoyed Kairi.

"Who's this girl you've been chatting with?" Sora asked curiously

"Just a girl from Tennessee," said Kairi, "who now lives in California. You'd like her, her name's Miley."

* * *

…Los Angeles, California, USA. 9:00 AM…

While Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden toiled the night away in training, across the world, the object of Riku's admiration was on her way to a meeting that would determine the course of her future.

Hannah Montana sat in the back seat of a limo with her manager and former country music superstar, Robbie Ray. As usual, Hannah looked absolutely fabulous with her long hair gleaming like gold. Today she wore a fuchsia top with designer jeans and hi-healed sandals, while Robbie Ray wore his usual outfit, completely with his trademark hat.

Unknown to but a bare fistful in all of the world, Hannah Montana's real name is Miley Stewart, a girl from Crowley Corners, Tennessee, whom achieved superstardom with her voice. Miley assumed the identity of Hannah when her popularity took off like a runaway train, so that she would have the chance of a normal life. Her father, Robbie Ray Stewart, simply added a hat and moustache as a disguise so that he could blend in as the manager of Hannah.

"You really should take this more seriously, darlin'," said Robbie Ray, "a stalker is a serious thing, especially when you're famous."

"I am taking this serious, daddy," said Miley, "but those emails Hannah got really didn't look all that threatening. I mean…look," she took out from her designer purse a printout of an email and read, "_'Dear Hannah Montana, I'm coming to get you, and I will make you mine at the award ceremony of the Tournament of Light. Enjoy your last months of being alone, for after the tournament, you will never care for anything else again, because I'll take care of you forever. Signed, a friend.'_"

Miley sighed with annoyance as she held up two more emails with similar wording, "I've gotten three of these this month. Whoever or whatever this guy is, he's clearly nuttier than that fruitcake Uncle Earl made for Christmas and wound up using as a doorstop."

"Which is why we asked the FBI to help," said Robbie Ray, "They're used to dealin' with stuff like this. They'll catch this maniac faster than Aunt Pearl chasing after a pig on bacon day.'"

"I'm sure they would," said Miley, "but they'll also have to stay close to me all the time to keep me, as Hannah, safe. I'd have to stay as Hannah all the time."

"I'm sure it won't come to that," said Robbie Ray, "but if they say that Hannah has to go into somethin' like a witness protection program, well, we'll just have to bare with it."

"Well, I guess so," said Miley reluctantly, "but if it comes to that, no way are we taking Jackson with us."

"Believe me," said Robbie Ray, "the last thing I want is for you, your brother and I to be hunkered up in a cabin in the mountains for a couple of months."

Just then the limo driver spoke on the intercom, "we're almost there, Ms. Montana."

"It'll be alright, Miles," said Robbie Ray, "somehow, some way, things will work out, they always do."

"I know," said Miley. She smiled brightly, "and thanks, daddy."

"Any time, bud," said Robbie Ray. The limo then pulled to a stop at the front entrance to the Los Angeles FBI field office.

With the ease of years of practice, Miley slipped into character as the car door opened and emerged as Hannah Montana. She and Robbie Ray were escorted into the building and were met by a man in his late 40's with graying black hair. He wore a gray suit that had an official looking badge with his identification on it.

"Ms. Montana," said the man in the suit, "you do the FBI honor by coming to us for help. I am Supervisory Agent Warren Hoffman, assigned to your case." He then indicated three people with him, a man with a black suit and gray tie, "this is Special Agent John Baxter," a man with a brown suit and black tie, "Special Agent Travis Bachman," and a woman wearing a gray and white suit, "and Special Agent Rebecca Covington."

"My daughters are such big fans," said Special Agent Travis Bachman.

"And my little girl simply adores you," said Special Agent Rebecca Covington.

"And my niece dreams of being on stage with you," said Special Agent John Baxter.

"I'm sure your kids are all wonderful," said Hannah as she smiled, "and thank you so much for bothering with little old me."

"It's our pleasure," said Special Agent Rebecca Covington.

"If you'll come this way," said Supervisory Agent Warren Hoffman. Hannah and Robbie Ray were then shown to a meeting room were they sat across the table from John Baxter, Travis Bachman and Rebecca Covington. Warren Hoffman sat at the head of the table, a copy of the threatening emails were in a folder in front of him.

"We've gone over the emails you've sent us," said Warren Hoffman, "and we're convinced that they are genuine. Someone, some lone maniac, wishes to do you harm, Ms. Montana."

"Call me Hannah," she insisted.

"Are you sure that this is just one guy?" Robbie Ray asked.

"There'd be identifying phrases in the threats that would tell if this was an organized group," said Rebecca Covington, "we've also ruled out the theory of someone with a grudge. No, this is not the work of someone who hates you, Hannah, nor are the threats from a terrorist group who wishes you harm."

"Until we receive information otherwise," said John Baxter, "we're treating this unknown suspect, or unsub, as a lone, obsessive fan who wants you for himself, Hannah, and we're certain that this is a man we're dealing with."

"So some nut job wants to keep Hannah like she's a piece of merchandise?" Robbie Ray asked, "That's ain't right at all."

"I figured this guy was crazy," said Hannah, "But I think my bodyguard can handle this creep. 'Cause my bodyguard, Roxy, she's like a puma!" She formed her hands into cat claws, reminiscing over all the times Roxy had been there for her.

"I'm sure your regular bodyguard is highly competent," said Warren Hoffman, "but this maniac intends to make his move during the upcoming tournament, and from what we can tell so far, he's the kind of person that nothing short of death can stop."

"This is a man on a mission," said Rebecca Covington, "and the unsub's mission is to collect Hannah in front of hundreds of millions of people. He wants this to be public. He wants the world to know who he is and what he will do when he does it, and making your acquisition in front of the world will give him that much more power, in his mind that is."

"So what should I do?" Hannah asked, "call the tournament officials and tell them that I won't be coming? It'll disappoint nearly half a billion people around the world, but I'll do it if it'll keep this maniac away from me," she then gritted her teeth, "even if it means letting _her _be my replacement at the tournament."

"Canceling your appearance at the tournament would be the wrong move," said Travis Bachman, "the unsub wants to make your abduction a public spectacle, and denying him his moment in the spotlight would only aggravate him into moving against you sooner."

"If you carry on as if nothing was happening," said Rebecca Covington, "then the unsub would move ahead with his plan, but we would be ready for him. Naturally we'll be doing everything we can to find and catch this nut job before he ever gets close to you, but if we can't by the time of the tournament, then we can set a trap for him."

"He'll get his moment of glory alright," said John Baxter, "A perp walk in front of half a billion viewers."

"So let me get this straight," said Hannah, "you want me to go about normally and act like everything's okay with this maniac is still out there?"

"I think you have what it takes," said Rebecca Covington, "since you gave such a fantastic performance in 'Indiana Joanne.' I should know, my daughter has it on DVD and Blu Ray."

"From a parent's point of view," said Robbie Ray, "that's sayin' something."

"Before you decide anything, Hannah," said Warren Hoffman, "we'd like you to hear out our plan. Since the tournament will be taking place on American soil, it's the responsibility of the FBI to ensure the safety of the participants. To be thorough, we've also been gathering information on the fighters, and from that information, we've selected several potential candidates."

"Candidates?" Hannah asked.

"To be your protectors," said John Baxter, "we're in the process of selecting a dozen or so fighters who, based on their known skills, are almost guaranteed to make it to the top 32, where they'll be in position to defend you if and when the unsub makes his move."

"For secrecy's sake," said Travis Bachman, "we'll will wait to choose until the last minute, so the manic doesn't get wise of our plan."

"Again, we will try our very best to catch this lunatic before he ever get's close," said Warren Hoffman, "this is only a last resort, but we at the FBI like to have a backup plan nonetheless. And as a further redundancy, Special Agent Covington will be operating undercover as an 'assistant' bodyguard."

"You'd be surprised how young I can act and look," said a smiling Rebecca Covington.

"Naturally we wouldn't go forward with this plan without the approval of you and your manager, Hanna," said John Baxter, "the final decision is yours."

Hannah and Robbie Ray looked at each other in a silent discussion, "we'll do it," said Hannah.

"Great," said Warren Hoffman, "we'll let you know when we've selected your new protectors among the contestants, and Special Agent Covington will be on hand in order to get acquainted with your schedule."

"I'm really looking forward to working with you, Hannah," said Rebecca Covington.

"I'm sure you'll do your best," said Robbie Ray.

"We'll try," said Travis Bachman as everyone got up from the table.

"I can't thank ya'll enough for helping me in this," said Hannah.

"It's our pleasure," said John Baxter, "but there is one thing. My daughters would be…"

"Say no more," said Hannah as she got her pen out from her purse, "what are their names?"

"Willow and Ashley," said John Baxter as he handed a piece of paper to Hannah, "they're going to go completely wild when I come home with your autograph."

"And could you make one out to my niece?" asked Travis Bachman as he handed Hannah a piece of paper as well, "Her name is Candice."

"And my little Jessica would be on top of the world if you could sign one for her," said Rebecca Covington.

"Not a problem," said Hannah as she signed the autographs. "Oh, Agent Covington? Since you're going to be my 'assistant' bodyguard, if you hear my manager or my friends call me Miley, just ignore it. It's kind of like a nickname."

"I understand completely," said Rebecca Covington, "and please, call me Rebecca."

Afterwards, Warren Hoffman escorted Hannah and Robbie Ray back to the limo, "I can promise you this, Hannah, we'll catch this maniac, one way or another." He then held out his hand

"I know you will," said Hannah as she shook his hand, "and thanks again for helping."

"Thank you for coming to us for help," said Warren Hoffman. He held the door open for Hannah and Robbie Ray.

Once the door was closed and the limo began driving away, Hannah slipped back into Miley, "those guys were nice, very nice. I really think they're gonna catch this nut job."

"I hope so," said Robbie Ray, "I really hope so. Oh, and nice going with covering up your name. Lord knows we'll have a dilly of a pickle if Agent Covington find out the truth."

"I just wanted to make things a little easier for later," said Miley.

"Well you did a good job, bud," said Robbie Ray.

* * *

A while later the limo delivered Miley and her father to their beachfront house in Malibu. Waiting on the front porch was Miley's best friends in the world, Lilly Truscott and Oliver Oken.

"What'd they say?" Oliver asked anxiously as he and Lilly stood up.

"They said that the emails are a real threat," said Miley. Everyone went inside. Once the door was closed, Miley removed her blond wing, revealing her natural brunet hair, "there's this manic out there who wants to kidnap me at the award ceremony of the tournament. The FBI are gonna try to catch this guy before that, but they've got a plan in case the worst should happen."

"What kind of sicko would want to hurt Miley?" Lilly asked.

"He's not after Miley," said Robbie Ray, "he's after Hannah, which means he's still after Miley."

"Oh," said Lilly, "but that's just as bad," she then gave Miley a reassuring hug, "to think there's a psychopath out there who wants to hurt you. I'd throw myself in front of him if it would keep you safe."

"It's gonna be okay," said Miley as she hugged Lilly back, "they'll catch this guy way before the tournament."

"She's right," said Oliver, "everything will be okay. Besides, even if this sicko gets past the FBI, he'll still have to deal with Roxy."

"You're right, Olly-pop," said Lilly in an affectionate manner, "he'll never get past Roxy, 'cause Roxy like a puma!"

"Like a puma, Lilly-pop," said Oliver.

"You two youngin' mind keeping the sweet talk to a minimum?" Robbie Ray asked, "you're gonna make me lose my lunch."

"You think they're all too sweet now, daddy?" Miley asked, "try going to school with them." She looked around as if noticing someone was missing, "where's Jackson? You'd think he'd be all over this like bees on honey."

"That's the thing," said Lilly, "Jackson's been acting weird all morning. He's been doing chores."

"Best friend forever say what?" said a shocked Miley.

"He dusted all the furniture and scrubbed the kitchen floor," said Oliver, "and he cleaned the bathrooms and mowed the lawn, all while you were gone. And you won't believe what he's doing now."

Just then, Miley's brother Jackson came in through the side door, looking rather dirty and nearly exhausted, "Hey, dad, Miley, how'd it go at the FBI?"

"They're taking care of the problem," said Robbie Ray.

"What have you been doing?" Miley asked.

"Oh, you know me, Miles" said Jackson in an unsteady tone, "I just love to do my part in keeping the old homestead fit as a fiddle."

"That's my boy," said Robbie Ray, "so, you'd clean out the gutters yet?"

"Just now," said Jackson, "they're as clean as the day they were made. Oh, and I made your bed and organized your shower, because I know how much you like your hair to look its best, dad."

"Has he lost it or something?" Oliver asked Miley.

"Knowing my brother," said Miley in a suspicious, "he's up to something."

"So, dad, apple of my eye, source of wisdom and guidance in my life," said Jackson, a hopeful look on his face, "how about those VIP tickets?"

"Told you so," said Miley, "and knowing my daddy, he's still got an ace in the hole."

"Depends, son," said Robbie Ray, "did you clean your room yet?"

At that, Jackson's expression fell, "umm, well, about that…I was going to get to my room, but then I remembered how much my daddy loves blueberry pie!"

Just then the timer for the oven dinged. Jackson rushed to the oven and pulled out a large and tasty looking pie, "and here it is, all for you, my favorite dad in the world."

"Oh yeah," said Lilly, "he did bake a pie."

"Yee dogies!" said Robbie Ray as Jackson brought the pie over to him, "that sure looks mighty tasty!" he then glared at Jackson, "but you're still going to clean your room if you want those tickets to the tournament."

Jackson looked shocked as he tried to say something that would get him out of such a horrific task, but then he reluctantly accepted his fate, "you are a cruel, cruel father!" he then hurried off to, hopefully, clean his room.

"He must really want those tickets for the tournament," said Lilly.

"VIP seats," said Robbie Ray as he got a knife to cut the pie, "and the worst part is that he's gonna have to keep that room of his clean up until the last second before the tournament, if he ever wants to see those tickets. Ain't that right, Jackson?"

"I'm cleaning my room already!" shouted Jackson from his room, "what more do you want?"

"Just checking!" said Robbie Ray.

"So, Miley, you're still going to be a guest commentator for the tournament?" Oliver asked.

"Well I'm not running away, that's for sure," said Miley, "I'll definitely be there as Hannah, maniac or no maniac."

"That's my girl," said Robbie Ray as he sliced several pieces of the pie, one for Miley, one for Lilly, one for Oliver, and an extra large slice for himself.

"Besides," said Miley, "if Hannah doesn't do the show, then they're gonna ask you know who."

"You mean Mikayla?" Oliver asked.

"Who else do you think?" Lilly asked.

"Ain't no way I'm letting that no-talent, tone deaf, hat wearing meanie get the best of me," said an irate Miley, "not today, not tomorrow, not ever, maniac or no maniac. And speaking of maniacs," she took her slice of pie over to her laptop on the dining room table, "might as well check to see if he's sent Hannah any more 'love notes.'"

"I still can't believe there's someone out there who wants to hurt Hannah," said Oliver between bites of pie, "I mean, she's Miley, and Miley's the nicest girl on the planet."

"Ahem!" said an annoyed Lilly.

"But not as nice as you, my little sugarplum," said Oliver.

"And you're nice to, my big, strong Oak Tree," said Lilly. They then kissed.

"Think I'm gonna lose my appetite," said Robbie Ray. He almost pushed his pie away, but then reconsidered. It was pie after all, and to Robbie Ray Stewart, pie was sacred.

"Oh, that's good news for a change," said Miley as she read her email.

"What's good?" Lilly asked.

"Well Hannah hasn't gotten a new message from her stalker," said Miley, "but that's only half of it. My inbox has some very good news in it. You remember that I've been chatting with a pen pal in Japan?"

"Yeah," said Oliver, "you said her name was Karen, or was it Katlin?"

"Her name is Kairi," said Miley, "and she just emailed me to say that she and her friends just entered in the Tournament of Lght. They'll be here in LA in two months."

"Oh, that's nice," said Lilly, "maybe we'll meet them at the airport."

"That is a swell idea," said Miley, "I'll email her back to tell them that. Oh, daddy, is it okay if…"

"You might want to wait a bit," said Oliver, "your dad looks busy."

Indeed, Robbie Ray was helping himself to a second oversized slice of pie and was fully enjoying himself."

"Yeah, I'll wait," said Miley, "the last thing anyone should do is come between my dad and his pie."

**The end of chapter 1.**

Next chapter, we switch back to Sora and the gang as they finish their training and leave for the tournament. Yet as they arrive in America and meet Kairi's pen pal and her friends, little do they know that two of their worst enemies have arrived on Earth to wreck great havoc. Reviews will be rewarded with cake, pie and oh so sweet nibletts. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2: The City of Dreams

Last time we met with Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden a month after their last adventure. While enjoying their time away from the burden of being heroes, a visitor came to call on Sora and Riku. Nodoka Saotome, the sword master who originally taught Sora and Riku how to fight. Nodoka had come to see how far Sora and Riku had progressed, and to also see how skilled Kairi and Aiden were. The four of them sparred with Nodoka, and all four of them succeeded in disarming her.

Nodoka then told our heroes about her son, Ranma, and all of his troubles, ranging from too many fiancées and rivals, to a really embarrassing water-based curse. Nodoka said that her son was sinking into a depression that was sapping his will to live. She believes that Sora and the gang could provide a challenge that would revive Ranma's vigor for life.

Nodoka then told our heroes of an upcoming tournament in America, where young fighters from all over the world would be competing in the spirit of good will and good fighting. The winner would receive a large cash price, while those who made it to the qualifying rounds would get to personally meet the celebrity guest commentator, Hannah Montana. That alone was enough to convince Riku to enter the tournament. After Sora and his friends registered for the tournament, Riku set about to get our heroes into shape, but not before Kairi emailed her pen pal in Malibu.

At the same time, one Miley Stewart, the girl behind Hannah Montana, went to the FBI for help with dealing with a maniac who had been sending threatening emails to Hannah. The FBI assured Miley, as Hannah, that they would do everything they could to catch the maniac before he made his move to kidnap her at the end of the tournament, but they also had a contingency plan just in case. With her fears eased for now, Miley went home confident that everything would be alright, while learning that her pen pal, Kairi, would be entering the tournament with her friends. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 2: The City of Dreams**

"I'm convinced you four are as ready as you can be," said Nodoka as she looked at our four sweating and exhausted heroes.

"Gee, Sensei," said a sarcastic and exhausted Aiden, "what gave you that idea?"

"Well considering that we've been working our collective asses off for the past seven weeks," said an equally exhausted Riku, "without a break."

"Which was your idea in the first place," said Kairi as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"You don't have to remind me," said Sora.

True enough, the past seven weeks, nearly every waking moment since they registered for the tournament, our heroes had been in training. Riku had established a regimen for himself, Sora, Kairi and Aiden, and with Nodoka's return a few days later, refined it. Nodoka came back, after assuring our heroes that she had talked with her son. Ranma's interest had been perked when he found out that his mother had been defeated by four of her students, so he was now registered for the tournament. With that taken care of, Nodoka set our heroes to work with the following daily schedule that she and Riku perfected:

4:00 AM-wakeup and breakfast

5:00 AM-calisthenics

5:30 AM-three mile run around town

7:00 AM-sword practice

9:00 AM-school work (Nodoka had gotten permission from the school for our heroes to have all their work brought to their houses)

12:00 PM-Lunch and rest

1:30 PM-sword practice

3:30 PM-weight training

4:30 PM-rest

5:00 PM-alternative fighting style practice (basic Karate, Judo etc)

7:00 PM-dinner

8:30 PM-sword practice

10:30 PM-bedtime

The relentless schedule, combined with Sora's innate instinct to compete with Riku, whom was himself driven by the desire to meet his idol, left Sora nearly at the breaking point. Several times during the seven weeks, Sora thought about giving up and withdrawing from the tournament.

But then he saw that Kairi and Aiden were putting up with the training without complaining, not out loud that is. Secretly, Kairi's thoughts were screaming that she was at her limit and wanted to stop. Roxas and Naminé were nearly at their wits ends listening to the complaining thoughts of Sora and Kairi.

As for Aiden, Sora could only guess how much his friend from another world was suffering.

But it was worth it, even though Sora and the others were constantly pushing themselves to their limits that left him too exhausted at the end of each day to spend any time with Kairi. But they were both in the same boat so to speak, and they knew that they would make up for lost time later.

And the training did have its results; Sora and the others were much more physically stronger and faster than before and had a lot more stamina, while they also had learned the basics of several other fighting styles, for they were sure to be facing martial artists who were versed in hand to hand combat as well as weapons.

Since starting, Sora and the others had learned the basics for Karate, Judo, Aikido and Kung Fu, and they were happy with what they had learned.

"I think we can handle pretty much whatever's thrown at us now," said Kairi.

"Especially after our 'special' training," said Aiden.

Nodoka had tried to teach Sora and the others how to manipulate Ki energy, but with the same results she had with Sora and Riku when they were younger. Our heroes just couldn't get a grip on their Ki.

But they had found a substitute. Sora, Riku and Kairi discovered that they could use the magic of their Keyblades without actually summoning them. They could focus that magic and use it to briefly enhance their speed, strength and agility, while Sora learned how to use his spells with his bare hands. This use of their magic left them depleted much faster than they would in actual combat with The Heartless, but they were satisfied at their quick progress.

Aiden had found another route. In his enhanced mind he found a transmutation formula that gave his body a boost. He insisted that this was not human transmutation, that there was no bodily manipulation and therefore wasn't breaking any taboos of his home land.

"It's just a power boost," said Aiden, "like what you're doing with your magic."

"Whatever floats your boat," said Kairi.

So there Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden were, on the beach of the island, nearly at their breaking point after seven weeks of hell on Earth, with Nodoka saying that they were ready for the tournament.

"So now what?" Sora asked as he and the others fell back and sat on the beach, trying to slow completely pass out.

"The qualifying rounds for the tournament start in seven days," said Nodoka, "where they sort out through the thousands of contestants from around the world, eventually boiling down to the top 32. I've arranged for us to fly to L.A. in three days, which will give us four days to get settled in and have some last minute practice before the fights begin."

"So now we've got to pack," said Kairi, "for how long?"

"The preliminary rounds will take three days," said Nodoka, "since there's so many contestants. After that there'll be a day before the night of the party for the top 32, then another day before the first round of the actual tournament. The first round will take a whole day, with eight fights in the morning and eight in the afternoon, with the second round of eight fights on the second day, the quarter finals on the third day, and both the semifinals and the final round of the fourth day. Add another day to recover, then we'll be flying back home, so pack for over two weeks, just to be safe."

"So we have until the tournament to our selves?" Sora asked, hoping to finally spend some quality time with Kairi, and she was hoping the same.

"As long as you're ready to leave in three days," said Nodoka, "so yes, enjoy yourselves," she smiled.

"We can't thank you enough for helping us, Nodoka Sensei," said Riku as he and the others bowed.

"Thank you for helping me with Ranma," said Nodoka as she bowed in return, "I spoke with my son on the phone the other day. He's looking forward to meeting you all at the tournament. He actually sounded happy for the first time in a long time."

"You really think we can help cure Ranma of his depression?" Kairi asked.

"If anyone can," said Nodoka, "It's you four."

"We won't let you down, Nodoka Sensei," said Sora.

"I know you'll all do your best," said a smiling Nodoka, "now go and enjoy yourselves. I'll see you in thee days."

"Good thing I've been keeping up with my alchemy," said Aiden as they all headed back for the mainland, "I've sold enough gold for us all to have sets of matched luggage."

"We'll probably have to get new wardrobes too," said Kairi as their boat tied up at the dock and they all got out, "we'll be in another country for over two weeks."

"I don't know about you guys," said Riku after he yawned, "but the first thing I'm going to do is get a shower and sleep for 20 hours. Then I'm going to sleep some more. See you at the airport." With that he headed for his house.

"Oh sure," said a slightly irate Aiden, "now he's tired."

"Whatever happened to his lifelong dream to meet Hannah Montana?" Sora asked.

_:It's still there,:_ said Roxas.

_:The dream is asleep now,: _said Naminé, _:and the rest of him needs to sleep in order to wake it up again.:_

"I guess that makes sense," said Kairi.

"You know," said a slightly annoyed Aiden, "one of these days that mind speech of yours is going to drive me nuts."

"I don't see why it bothers you so much," said Sora, "I mean, you're a Keyblade Wielder like us, so you and Riku should be able to do it someday."

"And until then you're going to keep having silent conversations," said Aiden, "with your 'other' selves no less." he sighed, "well, at least you're happy. Now if you two love birds don't mind, I have a date of my own, a date with a shower and my bed." With that he headed back for Sora's house.

"Aren't you going with him?" Kairi asked.

"I'll want to wait a bit," said Sora, "knowing Aiden, he'll use all the hot water in the shower, so I'll wait. That'll give us some time to ourselves."

"We have been neglecting that part of our lives," said Kairi, "and now's as good as any time to make up got lost ground." They embraced and kissed, only to move away from each other while making slightly nauseated faces, "umm, maybe a shower first wouldn't be a bad idea. You can use mine, Sora, there's always plenty of hot water at my house."

"Sounds good to me," said Sora, "but won't that freak out your parents that you have a boy in your bathroom?"

"As far as my patents are concerned," said a smiling Kairi, "you're already part of the family. But you should be worried about being in a girls' bathroom."

At that Sora laughed, "I've destroyed more Heartless than I'd like to count, and hundreds of Nobodies. I've faced dozens of Villians, including Maleficent and Organization XIII. I think I can handle taking a shower in a girls' bathroom."

Yet when Sora found himself in the pink tiled bathroom that was connected to Kairi's room, he found himself more than a little uncomfortable. But he gritted his teeth and cleaned himself up, making sure that he got every atom of sweat and dirt off of his body before turning the shower off.

As he toweled off, Sora was grateful for the training Nodoka put him through, for his magic had grown as well as his physical prowess. Sora had recently discovered how to summon objects from a familiar place, such as his closet in his house. He focused his magic, thinking about his usual outfit, which he had several copies in his closet, and summoned one to his side. He dressed and exited the bathroom.

"One of these days you're gonna have to tell me how you figured out that spell," said Kairi as she went into the bathroom.

"It's easy enough," said Sora has he tried to ease his pounding heart, which had accelerated at the thought of Kairi, getting into the shower, just beyond that door. "Just think about whatever it is you want to get and use your mind to bring it to you. But you have to know where that thing is, otherwise it won't work.

There was a second or two of silence from inside the bathroom. Sora then saw a scented candle on Kairi's bedside table vanish, "Oh!" said a surprised Kairi, "I did it!"

"Told you it was easy," said Sora.

_:That's one more our Somebodies have over Riku and Aiden,: _said Roxas.

_:Any more and they'll leave Riku and Aiden in the dust,: _said Naminé.

A short time later, after Kairi had finished and was dry and dressed, the two of them sat on the porch, enjoying each others company.

"You know," said Sora, "I've been thinking. We've been training so much, I haven't had time to ask. Who's behind the tournament? Who's in charge and why are they doing it?"

"That's a very good question," said Kairi, "let's find out."

They went to Kairi's computer and quickly found the information on the internet. "The tournament is being set up and sponsored by a group called The Heartstone Foundation," said Kairi as she read the information, "they're a group of people, all of them in their early 20's, all of them very smart and very, very rich. They've combined their mental and financial resources to help make the world a better place.

"They've helped funded humanitarian efforts in several disaster relief's, as well as provided research grants for various scientific and medical fields, specifically in creating new technologies and developing cures for diseases.

"One of the founding members is a doctor who finished medical school at age 15. He's helped develop flu vaccines for the past three years, as well as creating new and healthier treatments for cancer and other chronic diseases. He's also an advocate for nanotechnology, specifically in the creation of robots small enough to go inside a cancer patient and destroy tumor cells without harming healthy cells."

"That's cool," said an impressed Sora.

"The other members of the Heartstone Foundation are also cool," said Kairi as she kept reading, "there's this guy who's help build hospitals and schools in impoverished areas in 3rd world countries, and there's this girl who helped create a new grain that grows faster and is more abundant than corn, wheat, rice and other grains combined.

"And then there's the heart and soul of the Foundation, the one who's idea the tournament was in the first place. She became a multi-billionaire at age 18 and donated nearly half her inheritance to various charities. But before that she was already a famous inventor. She helped design a new model of computer that's being used by NASA, she's helped advance the perfection of fusion power by 10 years with just a single change in the design, and she's helped make holograms and virtual reality more realistic while reducing the cost."

"Sounds like a really great bunch of people," said Sora, "you think we'll meet them at the tournament?"

"The founding members will be hoisting the party for the top 32," said Kairi, "so we'll be meeting them and Hannah Montana all at once."

"In that case we'd all better make it to the top 32," said Sora. He and Kairi both yawned then, reminding them just how tired they were.

"I think I'll get those 20 hours of sleep Riku talked about," said Kairi.

"Same here," said Sora, "so, I'll see you tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow I guess."

"You can stay here if you want," said Kairi, "you'll pass out in the street before you make it back to your place."

"That sounds great," said Sora as he and Kairi headed for her bed, "but won't your parents freak if they catch us sleeping in the same bed?"

"I told you already," said Kairi as she slipped under the covers, "you're almost part of the family now."

"When you're right, you're right," said Sora. He got under the covers and snuggled up to Kairi. They kissed, "I don't know the words that will say how much I love you," said Sora.

"Maybe if you sleep on it," said Kairi, "you'll get inspired."

"That sounds good," said Sora. They then both fell asleep.

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

Once again Sora found himself in the rain drenched forest. He then saw the girl with long, curly bronze hair and chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at Sora, her pale face giving just a hit of blush. But there was a difference from the last time Sora had saw her. When he first saw the girl, she looked to be either 11 or 12. Now she looked to be almost 13, 14 at the most.

Sora then realized that Kairi was standing next to him, while Riku and Aiden were also in the area.

The girl laughed and began running, moving so fast that she was out of sight in the blink of an eye.

"Wait!" shouted Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden at once. They all started running after the girl.

But then there was another difference from the other dreams. Sora and his friends were running much faster than they did before, and within a minute or two, had caught sight of the girl again.

"Please come back!" shouted Kairi, "we have to talk to you!"

The girl laughed again. She was then joined by the pack of large wolves and they all ran out of sight.

**END OF DREAM SEQUENCE**

Sora and Kairi woke up with a start, "you were in my dream!" they both shouted.

Just then Kairi's cell phone rang. She recognized Riku's number and answered. "I saw you in my dream!" shouted Riku.

Just then the other line rang, it was Aiden, he having bought his own phone weeks ago. Kairi used a feature on her phone that allowed the two lines to talk at the same time, "I saw you in my dream!" shouted Aided

"You too!" shouted Riku.

"We all saw each other," said Sora, "and we all saw her again, The Girl Who Runs With Wolves."

"And this time we managed to keep up with her for a bit," said Kairi, "I think it had something to do with our training. We're much stronger than we were before, so it's natural that we would be stronger, and faster, in our dreams."

"That answers that," said Aiden, "but that still leaves the big question."

"Who is that girl?" Riku asked, "and why do we have to talk to her so badly?"

"I don't know," said Sora. He then had an idea, "why don't we ask King Mickey? If anyone can help us with this, he can."

"You think so?" Kairi asked.

"It's worth a try," said Riku.

"Okay, we'll go ask The King," said Aiden, "first thing in the morning."

Sora looked at the clock and realized that it was morning. But according to his watch, he and Kairi had been asleep for only a few hours, yet they felt completely refreshed, even after yesterday's horrific training session.

"Either we _are _getting stronger," said Sora, "or there's something really wrong with me. I don't feel like going back to sleep at all."

"Me neither," said Kairi.

"I feel like getting up as well," said Riku.

"Same here," said Aiden, "so, why not go see The King right now?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Riku.

"We'll meet at your house," said Kairi, "We'll be right over."

"See you then!" said both Riku and Aiden and they both hung up.

A short time later found the four friends outside of Riku's house. "Okay," said Sora, "just like The King showed us."

"Good thing he taught us to make our own portals," said Aiden, "after we all got back here," he rubbed his wrists, "alright, let's do this!"

They summoned their Keyblades and combined their magic, creating a portal to Disney Castle. They walked through and found themselves in the library of the castle, where a surprised King Mickey and Queen Minnie were studding several ancient looking books.

"Guys!" said King Mickey, "what brings you here?"

"We need your advice, your majesty," said Sora.

"But first let's fill you in on what we've been doing," said Riku. He and the others then told The King and Queen about the upcoming tournament and their reasons for entering.

"So your teacher wishes you to help her son regain his love for life," said Queen Minnie, "I can't think of a more nobler cause."

"If anyone can save Ranma from giving in to the darkness," said King Mickey, "it's you guys."

"Nodoka Sensei thinks the same of us," said Kairi, "but that's not the real reason why we came here."

"We've been having shared dreams," said Sora, "we should have told you about them when we got back here after sealing that other Earth, but we sort of forgot about them after all that happened."

"Shared dreams?" King Mickey asked, "sounds interesting."

"Weird is more like it," said Aiden. He and the others then told The King and Queen about the rain-soaked forest and The Girl Who Runs With Wolves.

"She always runs away from us," said Kairi, "not because she's afraid, but it's like she wants us to chase after her."

"But she's so fast," said Sora, "we've never come close to catching up with her until last night."

"We think our training has made us stronger in both body and mind," said Riku.

"That's understandable," said Queen Minnie.

"But even if we are faster," said Aiden, "that girl is even faster still. And what's with those big wolves she's with?"

"And why do we all feel this need to talk to her?" Sora asked.

All this time The King had been thinking, "I honestly don't have an answer for you, guys. I wish I did, but I don't. The only thing I can think of, and this is a big guess, is that when you are able to catch up with this girl, she'll tell you all you want to know."

"I guess that makes sense," said a slightly confused Sora, while the others sighed in slight annoyance.

"I wish I could be more help of you guys," said King Mickey, "but we've got our own worries."

"The Heartless?" Kairi asked.

"Is it Maleficent again?" Riku asked.

"Actually, Maleficent and The Heartless have been unsettlingly quiet lately," said King Mickey, "at least in our universe."

"Recently, circumstances have conspired to keep Maleficent from making further trouble," she then held an image crystal in her hand, the crystal showing a projection of the sky over New Hollow Bastion, with several multicolored lights spelling out a message…

**L.**

**Lawlett**

**Lives**

"We've received word from a confidential source that someone is plotting to enrage Maleficent enough that she will make a fatal mistake," said Queen Minnie.

"We don't know who L. Lawlett is," said King Mickey, "or who is responsible for delivering the messages. We do know that L. Lawlett was someone Maleficent was deathly afraid of."

"And if L. Lawlett is alive," said Riku, "then he could be someone who can help."

"Well he's a friend of mine if he's keeping The Heartless out of our hair," said Aiden.

"It's clear that we do have an ally of sorts," said King Mickey, "I'd feel better if we knew more about who that ally is and what his intentions are," he looked at Sora and the others, "but this isn't something you guys should worry about. You've got that tournament to win."

"Just try your best," said Queen Minnie, "believe in yourselves and you cannot lose."

"We won't let you down," said Sora.

"We'll tell Donald, Goofy and everyone else what's happening," said The King, "we'll all be cheering you on."

"Thanks," said Riku, "we'll try our best."

"And we'll let you know if we discover anything new about the enemy," said Queen Minnie, "or who L. Lawlett is."

"And you'll definitely hear from us if we come up with anything on your dreams," said King Mickey.

"That'd be awesome," said Aiden.

After another minute of pleasantries, The King opened a portal back to Earth, which Sora and the others stepped through.

The King and Queen sighed after the portal closed, "do you think we should have told them?" Queen Minnie asked.

"And spoil things for Sora and his friends?" King Mickey asked, "no, they've earned a chance to have fun. Our telling them of this new danger will only make them worry, and if they want to help their teacher's son, then the last thing they need is to worry about us.

"Besides, we don't know for sure if this is a new danger or just part of the old one. One sighting on one world isn't a definite threat."

"But what if it is real?" Queen Minnie asked, "what if that creature Leon saw on Radiant Garden was what he thought it was? A demon?"

"We can only hope that Leon was wrong this one time," said The King, "and hope that if it was really a demon, then it was just that one demon, nothing more."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"Are you certain of this?" Maleficent asked as she read a report that Pete, finally back in his normal blue and red outfit, and his fur back to its natural black, delivered to her as she stood on the balcony of the castle, her pet raven on her shoulder.

"That's what that crazy brat Katarina said," said Pete, "she said to give you that there letter, and to tell you that it's real. She may be a real loony, and can be really dumb sometime, but she got all serious, and smart, when we both saw that thing lurkin' 'round the old place."

"Did anyone else see the creature?" Maleficent asked.

"Only that guy with the big sword," said Pete, "Leon. He saw the thing just as it teleported out, but I don't think he knows what it was, unlike ol' Pete, he knows!"

"What you know wouldn't even fill a child's book," said Maleficent, "but in this case I do believe you are right, a demon was on the former Hollow Bastion. But what it's purpose it was, and whether there will be any further demonic incursions into this universe, I do not know."

"What do you want me to do now, oh great and terrible Maleficent?" Pete asked, terrified that his mistress would send him back to Katarina for more of her special attention.

"For now," said Maleficent, "nothing. You have redeemed yourself, Pete, so I release you from your punishment. You never have to see Katarina again if you so wish."

At that Pete sighed with relief, "Just so long as she don't drag me to no beauty parlor or clothes shop again, I'm happy."

"Then go and prepare yourself," said Maleficent, "I will have a new task for you before long."

"You're the boss lady," said Pete as he bowed and then hurried out of his mistress's sight.

A minute later a goblin servant escorted Hades and Ursula out onto the balcony. The two Villains, both humanoid sea witch and god of the underworld, had been forced to work together, and stick together no matter what, after Ursula had failed in her latest attempt to destroy Sora and the others, while at the same time punishing Hades for making a deal with Ursula behind Maleficent's back.

"What is it now, oh fashionably late Maleficent?" an irate Hades asked, "we were in the middle of sending a world into the darkness, when you called us back."

"Haven't you punished us enough?" Ursula asked, "you've forced flame-head and I together and we can't even take ten paces from each other."

"A punishment that you will have a chance to redeem yourselves of," said Maleficent, "I have decided that the time to strike against the home of The Keyblade Wielders has come. They believe their world is safe from The Heartless, that by sealing the Keyhole of that world, Sora has friends his world from the darkness. I wish to prove Sora and his friends wrong."

"This is definitely worth pulling us off another assignment," said Hades as he smiled viciously. Already his diabolical mind was at work on a plan

"Any chance to make Sora and his friends suffer would be worth the effort," said Ursula as she to began to work out a plan, "especially if it will free me of this flaming ingrate here."

"You're not pleasant company either, sister," said an irate Hades.

"Save your banter for later," said Maleficent, "now, to business. Even though the Keyhole of Sora's world has been sealed, a Dark Corridor can still be established on that world, thereby allowing small numbers of Heartless to enter that world."

"And just how are we going to attack The Keyblade brats with only a handful of Heartless?" Ursula asked.

"We're not going to use a handful of Heartless," said Hades, an idea beginning to form in his fiery head, "we're going to use one, a really strong one that'll totally charbroil Sora and his loser friends!"

"Ah," said Ursula, now getting the picture, "an ambush, when they least expect it."

"And I have just the scenario where that ambush can take place," said Maleficent, "it has come to my attention that on that world there is to be a martial arts tournament, involving thousands of young fighters, and will be viewed by hundreds of millions of humans. I wish for this tournament, ironically named The Tournament of Light, to end in catastrophe."

"We enter the really, really strong Heartless into the tournament," said Hades, "disguised as a human of course, and use it to win it, while destroying Sora and his loser friends."

"While also turning a lot of young hearts to the darkness at the same time," said Ursula, "I have an idea of my own that could help us find some already dark hearts."

"I anticipated that you would find this assignment interesting," said Maleficent, "my sources say that the tournament will begin in less than a week. I suggest you acquire the superior Heartless specimen before that time expires, as well as work out the details as to entering your 'champion' into the tournament.

"If you succeed in this venture, then the two of you shall be free to go your separate ways. Fail and you will wish that you had never existed to begin with."

"The tournament is as good as ruined," said Hades.

"And Sora is as good as dead," said Ursula, "him and the rest of the brats."

"There is one more matter," said Maleficent, "the newest edition to the Keyblade Wielders, Aiden Mackenzie, I wish him to be brought before me, alive and unharmed. He holds the identities to the remaining five Princesses of Heart in his subconscious. I wish to retrieve that information myself."

"We'll bring you that alchemist," said Ursula, "is there anything else, Maleficent darling?"

"Nothing else," said Maleficent, "go now and succeed, your continued existences depend on your success."

"We won't let you down," said Hades. He and Ursula left the balcony, leaving Maleficent alone with her raven.

"Now, my pet," said Maleficent, "if we can only discover who is sending me these ridiculous messages and make him suffer the likes of which hell would be envious of., that and discover the secret to forcing the Nobodies to obey…I wonder…"

A new idea had formed in Maleficent's mind, an idea most foul.

"Any ideas on what kind of Heartless we'll use?" Ursula asked as she and Hades exited the castle, "we've got only six days to find one and make it obey us. And it has to be really strong if it's going to slaughter Sora and the others."

"I think I have an idea or two," said Hades, "but you're not going to like it."

"I don't like anything you think of," said Ursula, "but this had better be good. The sooner we're free of each other, the better."

"This hasn't been a picnic for me either, sister," said Hades.

"Then you'd better not mess this up," said Ursula.

"Long as you don't mess it up either," said Hades.

"We agree on that," said Ursula.

* * *

"So today's the day," said Sora as he and Aiden finished packing for the tournament, "we'll be flying to Los Angeles today."

"And then we'll be four days away from the tournament," said a slightly annoyed Aiden as he zipped up his suitcase, "you've been saying the same words over and over again. Get a grip, man, you're losing it."

"Sorry," said Sora, "I'm just excited about this."

"You look like you're about to have kittens," said Aiden, "it's not like we're about to go fight The Heartless again."

"I know," said Sora, "but I am nervous and excited. But how can you be so calm?"

"I just am," said Aiden, "sometimes I'm the level headed guy in the group. Now finish packing, we're going to be late for this 'plane' thing."

"Oh yeah," said Sora, "you haven't been to an airport yet. I keep forgetting that they didn't have jets or any kind of airplane on your world."

"Well I hope it's fast," said Aiden as he helped Sora finish packing his bags, "'cause if this world is as big as you and the others said it was, then we'll never make it to the tournament if we have to take a boat."

"Oh we'll get there with plenty of time to spare," said Sora, "trust me on this."

Sora's mom drove him and Aiden to the airport, where Riku and Kairi were already there in the lobby. Nodoka was at the front desk for the airline that would take them to America.

"Took you guys long enough," said Kairi.

"Don't get mad with me," said Aiden, "I was ready to go long before he was."

"Sorry it took me so long," said Sora, "nerves, I guess."

"I'm excited too," said Riku. For some reason he was smiling widely.

"He's been like this for a while," said Kairi.

_:He should be happy,: _said Naminé, _:He's just a few days away from meeting Hannah Montana.:_

_:I'd be excited to meet Hannah Montana as well,: _said Roxas, :_If I had a body to meet her with.:_

"Well why don't you come out when we get there?" Sora asked, "you and Naminé did that before."

_:That was different,: _said Roxas, _:You and Kairi were dieing at the time. You really want to have your heart crystal taken again?:_

"I don't," said Kairi, "no thank you. Having both my heart and heart crystal taken each once was enough for me."

"I don't think you should be talking to your other selves while we're in America," said Riku, "they'll probably think you're insane or something."

"I just realized something," said Aiden, "none of us speak any English, or whatever it is they speak in America."

"We don't have to worry about that," said Kairi, "I once asked The King about languages, and he told me that being a Keyblade Wielder allows us to speak any language we want."

"It's actually our magic that translates what we hear and say," said Riku, "we'll still be speaking Japanese, but anyone we talk to will hear English, and we'll understand what they're saying as well."

"Oh, I thought you guys were speaking the language of The State," said Aiden, "all this time our powers have been translating our words for each other? That's cool."

Just then three familiar faces walking towards him and the others. "Tidus! Wakka! Selphie!"

"Hey, Sora!" said Tidus as he, Wakka and Selphie reached our heroes."

"We'd thought we'd wish you guys good luck," said Wakka.

"And to give you this," said Selphie as she handed a large card to Kairi. "Everyone from school and home signed it."

Kairi opened the card, revealing the signatures and well wishes of everyone from school and the town.

"You guys shouldn't have," said Riku.

"We felt like it, man," said Wakka.

"We'll be cheering you on," said Tidus, "the preliminary rounds will be streamed live on the web, so we'll all watch you kick butt!"

"And we'll be seeing you on TV when you get to the final rounds," said Selphie, "so you'd better not disappoint everyone."

"The thought never crossed our minds," said Aiden, "the next time you see us, one of us will be the winner of the tournament."

"You're looking at him," said Sora as he smiled confidently.

"Oh really," said Kairi in a daring tone, "and what makes you so special?"

"Speak for yourself," said Riku, "that trophy is mine."

"It's not just about the trophy," said Aiden, "it's the bragging rights, and to he haled as the best in the world, while having fun and making friends at the same time."

"And the money," said Kairi in a smug tone.

"And the money," said Aiden. "Hey!"

Just then Nodoka walked over, "everything's set. Our flight leaves in half an hour, so let's head over to the boarding area."

"Good luck, guys!" said Tidus.

"We're all counting on you!" said Selphie.

"Being back the prize, man!" said Wakka.

"We'll do our best!" said Sora.

Several minutes later found our heroes onboard the jet that would take them across the ocean. They were in their seats with their belts buckled. The flight attendants had given the usual safety instructions and the captain had announced their flight plan.

"So what happens now?" Aiden asked.

"Just wait and watch," said Riku.

The plane then taxied onto the runway and after a few minutes of waiting, accelerated down the runway and rose into the air.

This was in truth the first time on an airplane for Sora, Riku and Kairi, but they knew what to expect. Aiden, whom had indeed came from a world that was still using steam locomotion for its railways, was wide eyed in terror and excitement as he clutched at the armrests of his seat all the while the plain was rising up.

It wasn't long before the jet reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign was turned off.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"I feel like I'm in a dream," said Aiden as he looked out the window. Now that he was over the initial shock, he gazed in awe at the world from 30,000ft in the air.

"You're as awake as I am," said Riku as he also looked out the window, "but I've heard that the place we're going is where dreams come true, if you believe hard enough."

"We've got several hours before we get there," said Kairi as she got her backpack out from the overhead compartment and pulled out a book and her MP3 player, "I hope you guys brought something to do, I heard that in-flight movies can be pretty terrible."

"That's what portable DVD players are for," said Riku as he pulled from his backpack said object and a few of his favorite movies.

Sora had with him a notebook and a pen and was writing in it.

"What's that?" Kairi asked.

"Jiminy Cricket's still over at Radiant Garden," said Sora, "he hasn't heard about our last adventures, so I figured I'd give him some notes for his journal. I'm up to where we teamed up with Naruto and the other Leave village Shinobi.

"Make sure you get the part where I saved Kiba and Rock Lee," said Riku as he put his headphones on and started his DVD player.

"That's the part where we first met Sasuke," said Kairi, "and began to learn what was really going on there."

"As if I'll ever forget that," said Sora. He sighed, "I wonder what Naruto is up to now? Did he and Sakura figure out to get the curse mark off of Sasuke? And what about everyone else we met on that trip?

"Ed and Al, Sara Lancaster and her friends, and the Little Ponies, and what about Luffy and his crew? And there's Usagi and her friends. Are they all alright?"

"We can only hope that they're fine," said Kairi, "we sealed the Keyholes for The Hidden Leaf Village, Dream Valley and that other Tokyo, and we'll find the other Keyholes when we get the chance."

"I hope so," said Sora. He then smiled, "what am I talking about? Of course our friends are alright. Those guys we met are indestructible, at least Nartuo and Luffy are."

"And what about the Sailor Senshi?" Kairi asked, "Usagi used the power of the Silver Crystal to resurrect her friends from the dead, so doesn't that make them indestructible also?"

"When you're right, you're right," said Sora. With that he got back to his notes.

By the time the plane approached the western coast of America, Kairi had finished one book and was starting another, Aiden was still fascinated by the view, Riku had watched two DVD movies, as well as all the bonus features, while Sora had finished his notes on the adventures his friends and himself had been on up to that point.

Shortly after, the plane landed at LAX and our heroes left the plane and collected their luggage.

"Now what's this about Jet Lag?" Aiden asked.

"It's when you body thinks it's a different time than it actually is," said Riku, "we're in a time zone that's several hours ahead of where we were. I'll bet we'll still be wide awake by midnight tonight."

"Which is why you younglings are going to get back to your training the second we're settled in at our hotel," said Nodoka, "you've had an easy couple of days to rest, now comes the final preparations for the tournament."

"Lucky us," muttered Sora as he frowned at the thought of more hellish training, while Riku, Kairi and Aiden also looked depressed.

But then someone in the crowded airport lobby caught Kairi's eye; a girl about her age with long brown hair, bright eyes and a personality that seemed to brighten up the atmosphere of the room. She wore a green and white top with a denim skirt and wedgie sandals.

Taking a chance, Kairi walked over to the girl, "Miley?"

"Kairi?" the girl asked in a mild Tennessee accent.

"Oh my god, it is you!" shouted Kairi as she and her online friend grinned widely and embraced like long lost sisters.

"You made it!" said Miley Stewart, "I knew you were coming, but I didn't think seeing you would be this great!"

"I feel the same," said Kairi, "oh, you've got to meet the boys," she then lead Miley over to Sora, Riku and Aiden and introduced them.

"So you're Kairi's friend," said Sora, "it's nice to finally meet the one Kairi's been talking about so much."

"And Kairi's been talking about you guys longer than the tail on a possum being hung up to dry," said Miley. She then saw the confused looks of Sora, Riku and Aiden.

"It's a Tennessee thing," said Kairi, "I think."

It was then that Miley's two friends Lilly Trusccot and Oliver Oken came over and met our heroes, "so you guys are going to be in the tournament?" Oliver asked.

"We're going to go the distance," said Sora, "we'll make the top 32 for sure."

"Definitely," said Riku as he grinned with anticipation, "and then we'll get to meet the incomparable Hannah Montana."

"Oh, that's nice," said Miley in a slightly unsure manner, "I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you as well."

"How would you know?" Riku asked, "wait, don't tell me, do you know her?"

"Know her?" Lilly asked, "she's practically family!"

Sora noticed that Oliver gave Lilly a small but definite elbow nudge in the ribs.

"I mean," said Lilly hastily, "we go to her concerts all the time, and we get invited back stage a lot. You won't believe how cool it is there."

"The spread for the food service table is fantastic," said Oliver, "nothing but the best for Hannah."

"Naturally," said Riku, "she's the biggest thing to happen to pop music, of course Hannah Montana would get the best of everything."

"How right you are," said Miley.

Just then Nodoka walked over, "you can talk to your friends later, we have training to get to."

"Yes, sensei," said Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden in a depressed tone.

"Ya'll have to leave so soon?" Miley asked.

"Nodoka Sensei may be tough," said Kairi, "but she's fair. I'm sorry we have to go, but we do. It was great to finally meet you Miley."

"It was great to meet you to, Kairi," said Miley. They hugged again, "good luck with the tournament."

"We'll cheer you on all the way!" said Lilly she looked at Oliver with adoring eyes, "won't we, Ollie-pop?"

"That we will, Lilly-pop," said Oliver in an affectionate manner, "that we will."

"You've got to be kidding me," said Aiden in a hushed tone as he tried not to laugh.

"Tell me about it," said Miley in a hushed tone as well, "I have to go to school with them." She then got her cell phone out, "before you go, Kairi, what to exchange numbers?"

"That's a great idea," said Kairi as she got her cell phone out. They traded digits and hugged again, while Sora, Riku and Aiden shook hands with Lilly and Oliver. "See you later."

"If we get the chance, we'll see you at the tournament," said Miley.

"We'll look forward to it," said Sora. With that the two groups parted ways for the time being.

Once they were out of earshot from their new friends, Sora and the others began laughing. "'Lilly-pop?'" Kairi asked between giggles.

"'Ollie-pop?'" Sora asked, "are they serious?"

"They seemed to be serious," said Riku, "but that's just my opinion."

Aiden recovered from his giggle fit and spoke in a serious tone, "you once told me that The Queen told you that one could see the signs of true love if you know what to look for. I'm not sure if I read the signs correctly, but I'm definitely sure that those two, Lilly Truscott and Oliver Oken, they were meant for each other."

"They definitely seemed like a matched pair," said Kairi. "Sora, promise me something."

"Like what?" Sora asked.

"Like if we ever get all lovey-dovey like Lilly and Oliver," said Kairi, "you have my permission to smack some sense into me. It's one thing to be madly in love, it's another thing to be ridiculous."

"I guess that's right," said Sora.

* * *

"You gave Kairi her your number?" a shocked Olvier asked Miley once Sora and the others were out of earshot, "Have you lost it, Miley? For all we know, one of those guys with her could be the maniac."

"That Riku guy could be the lunatic," said Lilly, "he almost exploded when he talked about Hannah."

"He did look a little crazy," said Miley, "but I've seen crazy Hannah fans before, and he's just the type. No, Riku isn't the maniac, and neither is Sora or Aiden, I just know."

"How can you know for sure?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know," said Miley, "I just do."

"Maybe you've got psychic powers," said Lilly.

"If I had psychic powers," said a slightly annoyed Miley, "I would have avoided every paparazzi sleazebag who tried to make Hannah look bad. I'm just sure that Kairi and her friends are okay, and that they'll be good friends as well."

She then gave Lilly and Oliver a serious look combined with a reassuring smile, "besides, even if Riku, or any of them, were the stalker, then Roxy would be all over them in a heartbeat," she then bushed her hair back and touched a hidden earpiece, "you copy that, 'Mamma Puma?'"

From across the lobby, Miley's bodyguard Roxy activated a matching earpiece, "10-4, 'Little Superstar,' Roxy's got her eyes on you."

"You see," said Miley to Lilly and Oliver, "everything's going to be okay."

"Yeah, okay," said Lilly in an unsure tone.

"What?" Miley asked, "what's wrong."

"Well," said Lilly, "it's like this, you know how you've been having boy troubles lately? What with Connor being short, the time you fake dated Austin Rain and everything else?"

"And how you're still a bit upset with that whole 'Gotcha' thing in Vegas," said Oliver, "well…"

"Well what?" Miley asked.

"Well…" said Lilly, "we, I mean Oliver, Roxy and your dad and I, well we heard that someone's going to be at the tournament party, someone we're afraid you're going to get into a fight with."

"Oh, sweet nibletts!" said an irate Miley, "I knew it!"

"We didn't want you to be upset," said Oliver.

"You'd bet your life I'm upset," said Miley, "if that hat-wearing, lip-synching, no-talent witch Mikayla is going to be at that party, then there'll be a fight alright."

"Mikayla isn't going to be there," said Lilly.

"She's not?" Miley asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Oliver asked, "she's tied up in a lawsuit with Lindsey Lohan."

"Oh," said Miley. She them smiled eagerly, "that's too band, for Lindsey that is, she's suffered so much. I wouldn't wish Mikayla on anyone."

"So you wouldn't be upset if we told you that Jake will be at the party?" Lilly asked. She and Oliver winced at the utterance of the forbidden information.

"Why would I be upset?" Miley asked. She then did a double take, "Say what! Jake? Jake Ryan gonna be at the party!"

"I told you she'd be upset," said Oliver to Lilly.

"You were the one who wanted to tell her outright," said Lilly.

"It's alright," said Miley, "I mean, I am so over that whole 'Gotcha' thing. If Jake's going to be at the party, then Hannah will be there as well." she then gritted her teeth, "But if he tries to pull another fast one on me, he'll be in for a bigger surprise than that Raccoon got when he became Davy Crockett's hat."

* * *

Sora and the others barely had a chance to unpack once they were checked into their hotel, before Nodoka had them changed into running outfits and jogging through the streets of Los Angeles, with her riding a bicycle, shouting words of encouragement.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Aiden asked as he, Sora, Riku and Kairi struggled to keep up with the pace Nodoka had set for them.

"We're doing this to help Sensei's son regain his strength of heart before he loses himself to the darkness," said Kairi.

"And for a huge cash prize," said Sora, "and the honor and glory that goes with it. And don't forget the trophy."

"And don't forget the 'real' reason," said Riku.

"We all know how badly you want to meet Hannah Montana," said Aiden in an annoyed tone.

"He, Kairi," said Sora, "I'm glad we got to meet your friend."

"You are?" Kairi asked.

"Uh-huh," said Sora, "that Miley, she's a nice person. I'm glad you and her and friends."

"Well I'm glad you like her," said Kairi.

_:Less talking, more running,: _said Roxas.

_:You'll never win the tournament if you're jabbering all the time,: _said Naminé.

"Speak for yourselves," said Sora, "you two don't have any bodies of your own."

"You're just along for the ride," said Kairi.

_:Well excuse us for offering some constructive criticism,: _said Roxas.

_:If you don't want to talk to us,: _said Naminé, _:then we won't talk to you.:_

_:We didn't mean it like that,: _said Sora.

_:We'll be nice,: _said Kairi, _:If you be nice.:_

_:Your logic is flawless,: _said Naminé.

Nodoka then lead our heroes out of the city proper, through the suburbs and out into the hills overlooking Los Angeles, eventually leading up to the famous Hollywood sign.

"We'll rest here for a bit," said Nodoka, "and then head back to the hotel. Their brochure advertised a fantastic health and gym center."

"Lucky us," said Sora as he and the others sat down on the hill to get their breath back.

Sora then noticed that he and the others weren't along under the shade of the Hollywood Sign. Several paces away was a boy in his late teens with short brown hair and brown eyes behind glasses that had clip-on sunglasses. He wore a blue and green Kung Fu outfit and was practicing with a white oak staff.

The young man used his staff like a natural, moving fluidly with the shaft of wood as if it were a part of him; spinning, twirling and thrusting with the staff.

"Wow," said Sora, "he's good."

The boy then finished his practice and then noticed Sora and the others, "oh, you're training for the tournament as well?" he spoke with a slight accent that Sora and the others couldn't identify.

"No, we decided to run all the way from the city to up here just for the view," said Aiden sarcastically, "of course we're here to train for the tournament. Why else?"

"Well, you could always come up here and look at the clouds," said the boy. He then pointed up at one, "that sort of looks like a puffer fish."

"Looks more like a hedgehog to me," said Sora.

"Tilt your head," said Kairi.

Sora looked at the cloud at another angle, "oh yeah, it does look like a puffer fish."

"Everything looks different from another perspective," said the boy, "even time. Did you know that some scientists see time as a ball?"

"Full of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff," said Riku, "we've heard that."

"We sure did," said Aiden. He and the others then laughed.

"What's so funny?" the boy asked.

"We've had some pretty weird experiences," said Sora.

"Stuff that would curl your hairs," said Kairi.

"That's a bold statement," said the boy, "curly hair has never been a trait in my family, not since my great grandparents," he sat down and held out his hand, "I'm Adam Callahan, from Baltimore. My style is Shaolin Kung Fu."

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden then shook Adam Callahan's hand, "we all have the same style," said Riku, "Saotome Anything-Goes Swordsmanship style."

"I've heard about the Anything-Goes style," said Adam Callahan, "it's rumored to be all but unbeatable."

"Well you can't believe every rumor you hear," said Kairi, "so, Adam Callahan, why'd you enter the tournament?"

"Not the usual reasons," said Adam Callahan, "most of the so called fighters in this tournament are entering for the prize money, for a chance to get famous, and then there are those who hope to get to meet Hannah Montana, which I admit I'm looking forward to myself.

"But me, I've always believed that martial arts is a way of life, that one should learn to fight and yet not fight. I believe in the refinement and harmony between mind, body and heart, that all three need to be in balance for a healthy and prosperous life.

"Those so called martial artists, those who learn their art just so they could beat people up, they don't deserve to learn in the first place. You should only fight as a last resort, when words fail to prevent a conflict, and only fight to preserve your life and the lives of those you care about."

"That's what we feel as well," said Riku, while Sora and the others nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad you believe as I believe," said Adam Callahan, "and I'm sure that you believe as I do, that the preliminaries will go rather quickly. I'm not saying anything bad about the other contestants and their skills, but those of serious prowess will be the ones advancing to the top 32."

"And you think you'll be one of them?" Sora asked.

"I can only try my best," said Adam Callahan, "which is all any martial artist can do when in a friendly competition."

"This tournament is about making friends and having fun," said Aiden.

"And it looks like it's working," said Adam Callahan, "I'm glad we had this chance to meet before things got serious." he got up and retrieved his staff, "perhaps we will all meet in the top 32; the preliminary rounds will be large enough to prevent us from facing each other until them."

"In that case we'll see you at the party for the top 32," said Riku.

"I'll look forward to it," said Adam Callahan as he bowed. Sora and the others got up and bowed as well. Nodoka then came over, saying it was time to head back. Our heroes began running back to the city, leaving their new friend to resume his training under the Hollywood Sign.

**The end of chapter 2.**

Next chapter, our heroes begin the preliminary rounds of the tournament, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3: The Preliminaries

Last time we saw Sora and the others complete their training under Nodoka Saotome. After having another shared dream about The Girl Who Runs With Wolves, Sora and the others sought the wisdom King Mickey and Queen Minnie. The King and Queen had no idea why our heroes were having shared dreams, but promised to help if they did think of something.

Over in New Hollow Bastion, Maleficent dispatched Hades and Ursula to Earth to wreck havoc among the tournament. The two Villains who had been forced together came up with a plan to enter their own fighter, an incredibly powerful Heartless, into the tournament.

Our heroes arrived in Los Angeles, where they met Kairi's friend Miley, as well as her friends Lilly and Oliver. Our heroes were completely unaware that Miley was in deed Hannah Montana, whom was still worried that the manic stalker was still on the lose, but she was still comfortable with going through with the tournament.

After jogging up to the Hollywood Sign, Sora and the others encountered and made friends with a young martial artist, Adam Callahan, whom was also getting ready for the tournament. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 3: The Preliminaries**

The morning of the first rounds of the tournament dawned crystal clear, with a promise of warm weather throughout the day. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden woke up early and got together in Sora's room in the hotel before breakfast.

"So today's the day," said Sora, "all our hard work will come down to this."

"We're as ready as we're going to be," said Kairi.

"And how," said Aiden, "I feel like I can take on every fighter this world has to offer, young and old."

"We may just get that chance," said Riku.

Sora then remembered something he wanted to ask, "did anyone see if Nodoka Sensei came in last night? She sort of disappeared after lunch yesterday."

"It was weird for her to take off like that," said Riku, "I mean, not to complain that she said we were to have the rest of the day to relax."

"I'm glad we did," said Aiden, "Nodoka Sensei's a great trainer, but her methods nearly killed me a few times."

"Let's just hope she doesn't have any more surprises for us," said Kairi. She checked her watch, "it's nearly time for breakfast, and the qualifying rounds begin at 10:00."

"Isn't there supposed to be some sort of opening ceremony or something?" Aiden asked.

"Not for the preliminaries," said Riku, "remember, there's thousands of martial artists from all over the world. The first rounds are to narrow those thousands down to 32," he smiled happily, "and those 32 will get to meet Hannah Montana."

"We know already!" said an irate Sora, Kairi and Aiden.

"Well, just so you know," said Riku, "I'm ready to completely dominate the preliminaries." he then indicated a large duffel bag he had brought from his room. He unzipped the bag and brought up a wooden copy of his Keyblade that was exact in every detail in dimensions, weight and color.

Kairi pulled out from her duffel bag a wooden copy of her Keyblade, while Aiden had a wooden copy of his Keyblade as well.

Sora's wooden copy of Ultima Weapon was on his bed, "good thing the guys in wood shop at school were willing to work fast," said Sora, "they a great job."

"They did," said Kairi as she held her wooden Keyblade and gave a few experimental swings, "I just hope this type of wood can handle the rigors of the tournament."

"They're made from Ironwood," said Riku, "they've been treated with special resins so that they'll last practically forever."

"And if that doesn't work," said Aiden, "I can always fix them, just make sure you have all the pieces, and I can transmute them into the whole Keyblades again."

"That's good to know," said Sora. His stomach growled. With wasn't long before the stomachs of Riku, Kairi and Aiden growled in agreement.

"Let's go over the rules one more time," said Riku as our heroes made their way to the free breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant downstairs.

"We went over them ten times last night," said an annoyed Aiden.

"Well let's go over them again," said Riku, "incase Sensei asks."

"Right," said Sora, "each round of the preliminaries has a 3 minute time limit. The fight will go on till the end of those three minutes unless one fighter is either unconscious, submits or is outside of the ring for more than a 10-count."

"If the fight lasts for the full three minutes," said Riku, "then an official will declare a winner based on how well each fighter did, based on contact strikes, evasion of contact and overall performance."

"A fighter can submit either by saying he or she gives up," said Kairi, "or by tapping out."

"If a fighter is knocked down, he has until the count of ten to get back up," said Aiden, "if the referee says that the fighter is unable to continue due to injuries or impaired senses, then the fight is over."

"There's no hitting in the crotch," said Riku, "no eye gouging, no ear pulling or biting. Any fighter who commits any of those acts is automatically disqualified."

"A fighter may use any object essential to his or her style of martial art," said Sora, "wooden swords and staffs are allowed, as are wooden or plastic copies of spears and pole arms. Other wooden or plastic weapons are allowed, but no metal or anything with a sharp edge. Any fighter using a metal or edged weapon is automatically disqualified."

"Any disrespectful conduct made by a fighter before, during or after a match will be disqualified," said Kairi, "that includes any trash talk involving 'the 7 words you can't say on television or radio,' as well as spitting or making any comments involving race, religion or nationality."

"And any fighter who attacks another fighter outside a scheduled match will be disqualified," said Nodoka as she caught up with our heroes outside the restaurant. "I'm pleased that you remember the rules so well."

"We've had time to get acquainted with them," said Aiden.

"Where did you go, Nodoka Sensei?" Kairi asked, "you took off on us so suddenly."

"You have my most sincere apologies," said Nodoka, "I should have told you what had happened. Yesterday, I learned that my son had arrived in the city and had checked in at another hotel."

"So Ranma did come after all," said Sora.

"Yes," said Nodoka, "my son, as well as my deadbeat husband, Genma. And of course, the Tendo family is here as well. My husband and Soun Tendo are still doing their best, and worst, to keep Ranma and Akane together, so the second the two fathers heard that Ranma had entered, Soun and Genma badgered Akane into entering as well. Truth be told, she didn't really want to enter at all until Ranma entered, and she waited to enter at almost the last second, literarily, there was one second left before the registration deadline expired.

"And of course, with Soun being the crybaby man-child he is, he couldn't bare to leave Tokyo without his other daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki."

"Didn't you tell us that Kasumi was the only one in the Tendo family whom was actually a decent human being?" Riku asked.

"That's right," said Nodoka as they all entered the restaurant, showed the waiter their coupons that said they were in the tournament (Nodoka's showing that she was their trainer) and began filling their plates full of eggs, bacon, sausage and other good stuff for breakfast, "Soun's an irresponsible crybaby, Akane's a violent tomboy with trust issues, and the middle daughter, Nabiki, she'll go to extreme lengths to extort money from anyone who catches her eye.

"It's a miracle that Kasumi turned out as nice as she did. Always smiling, no matter how bleak the situation her family is in, Kasumi is there to help take care of her father and siblings, slaving away in the kitchen and keeping the house clean, even with only sparse words of thanks as a reward. What with how her sisters turned out, I'm still surprised how pure of heart Kasumi is."

'_Pure heart,' _thought Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Roxas and Naminé.

_:You don't suppose that Kasumi Tendo is a Princess of Heart?: _Roxas asked.

_:We won't know unless Aiden gets a good look at her,: _said Kairi. She sent a knowing look at Aiden, whom didn't need telepathy to understand the message. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"As if having her short-tempered fiancée nearby wasn't enough," said Nodoka as they all sat down at a table to eat, "Ranma's other fiancées are here for the tournament, as well as several of his rivals."

"So not only will Ranma have to deal with us," said Sora as he spread some strawberry jam on his toast, "but he'll also have Akane to fight."

"As well as several girls who want to marry him," said Riku.

"And several boys who want to kill him," said Kairi.

"And thousands of other fighters from all over the world," said Aiden, "with the way you told us how depressed your son is, Nodoka Sensei, he'll never make it."

"I think you're estimation of my son is highly wrong," said Nodoka, "he did look rather miserable when I saw him yesterday, what with Akane, Genma, Soun and everything else weighting down on his shoulders. Oh, and Happosai as well."

"That little old pervert you told us about?" a shocked Kairi exclaimed, "that geriatric dwarf who gets his power by molesting women and stealing their underwear! He's here?"

"If I know that miniature letch," said Nodoka, "he's on the other side of town, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, with a sack full of panties and bras, shouting his favorite words; 'What a haul! What a haul!'"

"Well no wonder Ranma's been feeling so miserable," said Aiden, "I'd be if I had to put up with all he's put up with, especially with a dwarf pervert hanging around me all the time." At that Sora, Riku and a still outraged Kairi nodded in agreement.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate your understanding the situation," said Nodoka, "but back to yesterday, I met my son at his hotel, which is really a good change of pace for him and Akane since the Tendo family has been threatening to fall into bankruptcy for quite a while now. Fortunately they won a small lottery when Akane registered for the tournament and had all expenses paid, including the plane tickets to and from LA, the hotel bill and room service, which Sound and Genma will no doubt be seeing how high it can go.

"Anyway, when I saw them in the hotel lobby as they were checking in, Genma, out of reflex, grabbed a nearby bottle of cold water and splashed himself and Ranma, turning themselves back into 'Ranko and Mr. Panda.'

"I had to remind my husband again that the Seppuku pack was no longer valid. A bellboy brought over a kettle of hot water and turned my son and husband back to normal.

"I then pointed out the nearby all you can eat buffet, which Soun, Genma and Happosai descended on like a pack of wolves. I then asked Akane to keep an eye on the 'boys' while I had a moment with my son.

"Ranma and I then went out side and I told him that you four were here and they were looking forward to meet him, both in and out of the tournament. Being the dutiful son, Ranma promised to 'avenge' my defeats. I told him that this was all for his benefit, that if anyone can revive his love for life, it is my students, and maybe also help solve some of his other problems.

"He then looked at me eagerly and asked if 'that' problem was one of them. I said maybe, considering that my students have been known to work a miracle or two here and there."

"What's this other problem?" Aiden asked after finishing off a blueberry muffin, then began spreading some chipped beef on a piece of toast.

"His curse," said Nodoka, " and I already told my son that, if given the chance, you could knock some sense into his rivals and other fiancées, but good luck with those two crazy ones."

"Wait a second," said Sora, "you told Ranma that we'd break his curse?"

"I'd said that you'd look into it," said Nodoka, "that you had experience with magic and maybe you could do something."

"We have had experience with magic," said Kairi, "and Alchemy, and other things. But we've never broken a curse before. Not one from this world."

"We wouldn't know where to begin," said Aiden.

"I guess Donald would know what to do," said Sora, "or Merlin or Yen Sid."

"We'd probably make things worse if we tried to mess with Ranma's curse," said Riku.

"Will you at least try?" Nodoka asked, "if you see my son at some point outside the arena, will you try?"

"Of course we'll try," said Kairi, "I honestly don't know what we'll do, but we'll try."

_:Do you know anything about breaking curses?: _Roxas asked Naminé.

_:Not a clue,: _said Naminé, _:You?:_

_:I'm completely blank,: _said Roxas.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," said Sora.

"And as for Ranma's other problems," said Riku, "if we meet one of his rivals or other fiancées, we'll show them a thing or two."

"You got that right," said Aiden, while Sora and Kairi nodded in agreement.

"I know you'll do your best," said Nodoka, "both with my son and in the tournament."

* * *

At 8:30 our heroes headed for the large arena that was constructed for the tournament. Thousands of people were already there; a large part of the crowd were other young martial artists and their trainers, but quite a lot of people there were there to watch the preliminaries.

"Now I know why they need three days to go through the preliminaries," said Sora, "how many are here?"

"Over 32,000 fighters," said Nodoak.

"It'll take them forever to get to us," said Aiden.

"They'll be hundreds of fights going on simultaneously," said Nodoka, "everyone is scheduled in, so the wait won't be long."

"The logistics for this tournament must be astronomical," said an amazed Riku.

"I heard that the Heartstone Foundation hired the best," said Kairi.

"Let's just worry about the actual fighting," said Sora.

"Good idea," said Aiden.

They made their way to the front desk and told the tournament officials there that they, Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, had arrived and were ready to start whenever their turn came. The officials then gave our heroes each an number that told when and where they will be fighting.

"You each are scheduled to have your fist matches at different times," said Nodoka, "you're all in the same area of the block, but doubt that you'll end up facing each other, at least not today."

"That's a bit of a relief," said Riku as he looked at his number, which said that his match was due to start in fifteen minutes, while Sora and Kairi would be fighting against different opponents in twenty minutes, and Aiden's match would start in twenty five minutes.

"At least we won't have to kick each others butts until later," said Aiden.

"Hopefully we'll all make it to the top 32," said Kairi.

"Wait a second," said Sora, "what happens if we get hurt during our matches? I mean really hurt? What if any fighter who wins their match is hurt?'

"That would make advancing to the next round complicated," said Nodoka, "but I doubt this is an issue to worry about."

"How so?" Aiden asked.

"You see those officials in white coats?" Kairi asked as she pointed to a man and woman in white, "I read that the tournament has volunteer doctors, nurses and paramedics helping out. You see those weird looking things they're carrying?"

"What about them?" Riku asked as he also noticed the strange devices the volunteer 'medics' carried.

"They're the latest in medical technology," said Kairi, "one of the lead members of The Heartstone Foundation has helped pushed the boundries of medicine. Those devices are supposed to revolutionize emergency medicine. They're supposed to heal broken bones, cuts, internal bruising and just about any wound."

"That's incredible!" said an amazed Riku, "but it's also impossible! Nothing sort of magic can do that."

"I know," said Kairi, "but I saw videos of the devices at work, and they do work. They were approved by all the people who approve medical technology and have been available to hospitals for some time now. This tournament is also to promote new technologies such as the healing devices."

"I guess our world has changed a lot since we've been saving other worlds," said Sora, "but if it's okay with you guys, I think I'll stick with Potions and Healing spells."

"Same with me," said Riku, while Aiden nodded in agreement, "not that I want to argue with the people running the tournament, but I'm not sure I trust something that seems too miraculous to be true."

"I guess you have a point," said Kairi, "if it'll make you guys feel better, I'll stick with my magic as well. But if any of us are in a position where the healing devices are our only option, don't hesitate to use them."

"If they work, then they work," said Sora, "and I won't argue about them any more."

"Same here," said Aiden.

Just then a tournament official told Riku that his match was about to start. "Wish me luck," said Riku.

"Good luck," said Sora, Kairi and Aiden.

"Just remember your training and believe in yourself," said Nodoka, "and you can't fail."

"I know I'll win," said Riku. He then smiled at Sora, "we still have unfinished business."

"You ain't kidding," said Sora.

Five minutes later an official came over and told Sora and Kairi that their matches were up. They wished each other good luck and went to separate parts of the tournament area.

Sora's first match was against a very tall, very well built Karate fighter wearing a white gi with a black belt. The oversized fighter grinned viciously at Sora as he entered the ring.

"Hey, shrimp," said the oversized fighter, "ain't you a little young for this tournament?"

"I'm almost 16," said Sora as he stretched for the fight, then hefted his wooden Keyblade, "shouldn't you be at a job?"

"You think you're so tough?" the oversized fighter asked as he cracked his knuckles, "well let me tell you something, pipsqueak, I eat little boys like you for breakfast."

"That's got to give you some serious indigestion," said Sora. After all the terrors Sora faced when battling The Heartless, after all the torments Maleficent and Organization XII threw at him, no way a muscle-bound bully was going to intimidate him.

_:This punk's got nothing on you,:_ said Roxas, _:He's one of those so called 'martial artists' that that guy, Adam Callahan, said that didn't deserve to even learn how to fight.:_

_:I know,: _said Sora, _:But that doesn't mean he's harmless.:_

_:Good point,: _said Roxas.

A referee then told Sora and the oversized fighter to bow to each other, then to himself.

"Get ready to eat humiliation, little guy!" said the oversized fighter as he took up a stance, while Sora hefted his wooden Keyblade.

"No thanks," said Sora as he smiled confidently, "I already had breakfast."

The referee then signaled that the match had begun.

The oversized fighter then charged at Sora with one hand held up for a devastating chop to Soar's head, or so he thought. Sora easily sidestepped the charging bully and delivered a smack to the fighter's behind with the wooden Keyblade. The bully was knocked balance and fell out of the ring.

Confused over what happened, the bully didn't even think about getting back into the ring until the referee had reached '5!' He rushed back into the ring, only to be knocked down by a single strike from Sora's wooden Keyblade.

The bully fighter got up before the referee reached '2!' but then Sora bashed him on the head, knocking him unconscious, leaving the referee to declare a 'TKO!'

_:Awesome!: _said Roxas as Sora headed back to the waiting area.

_:That guy was all talk,: _said Sora, _:Adam Callahan was right, the first rounds will be easy.:_

He got back in time to meet Kairi, "I won!" said a widely smiling Kairi, "and I didn't even break a sweat!"

"That Callahan guy was right," said Riku, whom was already there, "the first few rounds will be a cakewalk."

Sora, Riku and Kairi then talked about their fights. Aiden came back a few minutes later, "and here I thought we'd be facing the best in the world," he said sarcastically.

"I'm glad that you've found your first matches so enjoyable," said Nodoka, "but this was only the beginning. Things will only get more interesting from here on out."

"Bring them on!" said Sora, while Riku, Kairi and Aiden nodded in agreement, "we're ready for them. We're ready for the whole world!"

* * *

Unknown to our heroes, they were being watched by two of their biggest enemies. Hades and Ursula had infiltrated Earth and used their dark magic to enter a fighter of their own into the tournament.

"How'd you manage to find this character?" Ursula asked as she and Hades, each having a glamour that disguised them as ordinary humans, escorted the super strong Heartless that, despite a very dark presence about it, looked to be an average looking human male with an above average muscular build. He had long, spiky blond hair and black eyes and wore a yellow and black karate gi.

"Let's just say I had to get down and dirty to scrounge up a heart dark enough for this job," said Hades, "I had to go to the deepest, darkest, filthiest part of the underworld to find the soul of a martial artist so vile, so twisted, so absolutely evil that his own universe kicked him out when he died and sent him to ours to rot forever.

"I made an offer with him; become a Heartless and submit to my will, and yours of course, toots, and he'll get to fight again."

"And are you sure he'll do it?" Ursula asked, "my magic made him look ordinary enough so that the humans of this world won't notice, but can he do the job? Can he destroy Sora and the other brats?"

"Oh he'd better do the job," said Hades, "because if he doesn't, then he'll be destroyed like any other Heartless that couldn't do it.

"But he'll get the job done, alright, 'cause this guy was the best dark martial artist in his universe. He'll do it."

"But just in case," said Ursula, "I'm still going keep watch for any potential dark hearts that we can exploit."

"Whatever makes you happy, sister," said Hades.

They then made the Heartless fighter head for its first match, which it won in no time flat.

"Pity your pet didn't get to fight Sora or any of the other brats in the first round," said Ursula as they waited for the next round to begin, "it's also a pity that we cannot reveal ourselves yet and cause some havoc."

"Oh they'll be chaos alright," said Hades, "but not yet. I want to wait until we've got as many people in this world watching our 'boy' destroy the arena and everyone in the audience. We'll get our chance, soon."

* * *

The rest of the day, and the next, passed rather quickly for Sora and the others as they won each match of the preliminaries they fought in. They all had eight fights on each day, with each round cutting the number of contestants in half. On the third day of the preliminaries, Sora and his friends faced much of the same as they did on the first two days

"This is almost too easy," said Riku after his fourth match of the day, "when are we going to face someone who can actually fight? Someone who is a true martial artist and not someone who learned how to fight just to beat someone up."

"I am getting tired to putting bullies and thugs in their pace," said Aiden as they all headed to a nearby café for a lunch break. "When are we going to face real martial artists? The preliminaries are almost over."

"Probably when we get to the top 32," said Kairi, "which I think we'll all get to."

"I'm just worried that we'll end up facing each other before we get to the top 32," said Sora, "not that I wouldn't mind, it'd be great to have a real fight for a change."

"Oh I'll give you a real fight," said Riku, "just you wait."

"Just give me the chance," said Aiden eagerly, "and I'll clean all your clocks."

"This clock isn't so easy to clean as you'd like to think," said a grinning Kairi.

Just as they were about to go into the café, they heard a familiar southern accent, "Kairi!"

"Miley!" said a surprised Kairi as she and the others saw Miley Stewart run up to them.

"I watched you guys fight online," said Miley, "you're awesome!"

"You think we're good now?" said Sora, "you haven't seen anything yet."

"The competition we faced so far was, how can I put it," said Riku, "below par."

"It's like every bully and thug who can throw a punch is in this tournament," said Aiden, "but we're sure that we'll face the real fighters late on."

"We're going to go the distance," said Kairi, "all the way to the finals, not just the top 32, but to the final 4."

"That way at least one of us will win the tournament for sure," said Sora, while Kairi, Riku and Aiden nodded eagerly.

"That'd be a heck of a sight to see," said Miley as they all went into the café.

"So, where's Lilly and Oliver?" Sora asked.

"They're at another restaurant," said Miley, "they'll be by later so we can all watch you fight. They wanted some alone time. Lilly and Oliver may be my best friends, but sometimes they're harder to be around than a emotionally needy skunk on Valentines Day."

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden all looked at Miley in confusing, "Huh?" they all asked.

"Ya'll wouldn't last two minutes in Tennessee," said Miley apologetically.

"I'll bet we wouldn't," said Riku. They sat at a table and ordered lunch.

As they passed the time for their food to arrive with small talk, Sora couldn't help but overhear a mildly heated conversation from the next table.

Four young adults sat at the table; two boys and two girls. The first boy had brown hair that stuck out front as a sort of pompadour. He wore a dark blue shirt and black pants in the style of a samurai. He had a wooden katana at his side.

The first girl had long black hair tied to one side with a ribbon. She wore a green jacket and blue sweatpants. Her jacket was slightly open to reveal a green leotard.

The second boy had short red hair and green eyes. He wore a green jacket over an orange and white karate gi.

The second girl had shoulder length brown hair and gray eyes. She wore a white jacket over a brown karate gi.

The two boys looked like they were having an argument, and their words backed that claim up.

"You're a liar and an idiot!" said the boy with red hair, speaking in a mild Irish accent, "that incident was completely blown out of proportion by that tabloid rag!"

"How dare you insult my word and honor!" snapped the boy with the wooden sword, "that incident happened exactly as reported by the media!"

"Aren't you two taking this a little too seriously?" the girl with brown hair asked, speaking in a medium French accent.

"Why wouldn't they?" said the girl with black hair, "I know my brother enjoys a good argument now and then."

"Stay out of this, dear sister," said the boy with the wooden sword, "this does not concern you."

"Let her talk," said the red haired boy, "maybe the lass can tell you that you're wrong."

"I am not!" snapped the brown haired boy, "the event was true to the report."

"I also read the scandal story," said the French-accented girl in an annoyed tone, "and I saw the photos. All the work of the disgusting paparazzi, _ils sont tous les méchants cochons._"

"She just called the paparazzi a bunch of evil little pigs," said Kairi to Miley.

"That's true enough," said a grinning Miley

"It is true," said the black-haired girl.

"Is not!" said the brown-haired girl, "and if you believe it to be true, then two are both insane and retarded."

"I don't mean to be rude," said Aiden, "but what the hell are you talking about?"

The boy with the wooden sword glared at Aiden with accusing eyes, "what gives you the right to interfere in a private conversation?"

"Private my eye," said Miley, "I'll bet they could hear you across the room."

"Darn right!" said a girl with an Australian accent whom was sitting in the far corner, whom happened to be the only one else in the café, she wore a green jacket with blue sweatpants. Below her left eye was a hook-shaped scar, "do you blokes mind? I'm trying to enjoy me lunch here."

"My apologies, fair maiden," said the boy with the wooden sword to the girl from Australia, "I was merely attempting to prove my friend from the Emerald Island wrong."

"Well I'm not wrong," said the boy with red hair, "I know for a fact that those photos were faked. I should know, me da and marm own their own photography shop in Dublin."

"And my parents are computer graphic experts in Paris," said the girl with brown hair, "they told me that the photos of Hannah Montana in a very compromising situation was faked."

"Excuse me?" exclaimed an outraged Riku, while at the same time a shocked Miley shouted, "Girl from Paris say what?"

"Didn't you hear?" the black haired girl asked in a mildly maniacal tone, "it's in all the hot sheets," she pulled out from her purse a tabloid magazine and handed it to Riku and Miley, the date on the magazine was from the day before yesterday. Sure enough, the front page showed Hannah in a very compromising, very embarrassing position.

"Oh that's definitely faked," said Kairi as she looked over Riku's shoulder.

"It has to be a fake!" said a stunned and disgusted Riku, "Hannah would never do such a thing, I know she wouldn't!"

"She definitely wouldn't," said Miley, "I should know."

"Oh really?" the girl with black hair asked, "and how would you know?"

"Well…" said an unsure Miley, "because…I saw Hannah the same day this picture was taken, she definitely wasn't doing anything like this."

"And I know for a fact that Hannah elsewhere when these so called pictures were taken," said Riku, "she said so on her website."

"Exactly," said Miley in an insisting tone, "Hannah said it on her website."

"We know the story was staged," said the boy with red hair as he pulled out an issue of the same tabloid magazine that was issued the next day. The front page had an apology to Hannah Montana written on it, "this says that the scumbag of a photographer faked the picture in order to make money."

"I heard that Hannah's manager, Robbie Ray," said the girl with brown hair, "he threatened to sue the magazine unless they printed an apology, which they did, though the deserve much worse than that, _les petits bâtards crasseux."_

"She just called the tabloid magazine filthy little bastards," said Kairi to Miley.

"How do you know French so much?" Sora asked.

"While you were doing your…thing," said Kairi, hesitating to say anything more about their adventures to strangers, "I was studying,"

"That's awfully decent of Hannah's manager," said Aiden, "I would have wrung out the necks of everyone at that magazine if they printed such a lie about me."

"I would have shoved pipe bombs up their arses," said the red-haired boy as he smiled viciously "give them a real 'Belfast Breakfast.'"

"Ya'll excuse me for just a second?" Miley asked as she got out her cell phone, "I need to call someone, I'll be right back." she then went outside.

"She's probably telling her friends about this," said Riku, "I know I would tell mine." he then glared at the boy with the wooden sword and his sister, "but what I don't understand is why you two are so eager to believe such lies."

"They can't help it," said the French-accented girl, "these two, while highly skilled in martial arts and other areas, they lack wisdom, especially when it comes to disbelieving celebrity scandals that are clearly faked."

"I will not tolerate this outrageous insulting of my intelligence!" snapped the boy with the wooden sword.

"What intelligence?" the Irish-accented boy asked, "you don't have any intelligence to insult, boyo. Get some intelligence and I'll insult it!"

"Thou are an uncivilized barbarian!" said the boy with the wooden sword, "and it will be my pleasure to put you in your place when we meet next during the tournament."

"And it will truly make my day to make your lady friend her suffer the humiliation of losing in front of the whole world," said the girl with black hair. She then laughed high and cruelly.

"Oi!" shouted the Australian girl, "keep it down!"

"Perhaps we should leave, brother dear," said the girl with black hair, "it is more than obvious that we are not wanted."

"Indeed is does appear that way, sister dear," said the boy with the wooden sword.

Just then both their cell phones rang, signaling that they had each received a text message. "It would appear that someone else desires our company," said the boy with the sword.

"Indeed," said the girl with black hair as she read her message. She then looked at Sora and the others, "and so we must depart. Perhaps we shall meet again in the arena, if you four are indeed contestants in the tournament."

"We are," said Riku. He then introduced himself, while Sora, Kairi and Aiden did the same.

"Then perhaps we shall indeed meet in the ring of honor," said the boy with the wooden sword, "I am the Blue Thunder, the rising star of kendo fencing; Tatewaki Kuno, at your service." He then bowed respectfully.

"And I am the Black Rose," said the girl as she bowed gracefully, "the delicate flower of rhythmic gymnastic martial arts; Kodatchi Kuno, at your service. We bid you a fond farewell, until our next meeting," she then glared at the boy from Ireland and the girl from France, "and we shall surely continue our conversation at another time, won't we, brother dear?"

"Indeed we shall, sister," said Tatewaki Kuno, "that we shall."

The girl, Kodatchi Kuno, then smiled in a friendly, yet somewhat insane way, at Sora and the others, and then she and her brother left the café.

"Those two are completely out of their minds," said the boy from Ireland.

"Someone should lock them in a padded room and throw away the key," said the girl from France.

"They seemed okay to me, I guess," said Sora.

"Not to me," said an irate Riku, "anyone willing to believe such lies about Hannah Montana are either completely insane or complete idiots."

"I'd say Tatewaki is the idiot," said the girl from Australia as she walked over and sat at the table, "and Kodatchi's the psychopath, but that's just my opinion, mind you."

"There was something wrong with those two," said Aiden, "they think that they're superior to everyone else, like they're nobility and everyone is dirt."

"You may be right, my friend," said the boy from Ireland. He held out his hand, "Kyle O'Harra, from Dublin. My style is Pankration."

"What's Pankration?" Aiden asked.

"Greek grappling," said the girl from France. She then stood up, "_Je suis Jean-Louise D'Arch, de Paris, à votre service. Mon style est Savate_."

"She's from Paris," said Kairi, "and her style is Savate, which is the national style of France, right?"

"_Oui_," said Jean-Louise, "_mon père _taught me the art of Savate, and _son père _taught him, and so on."

"And I'm Julia Eckhart," said the girl from Australia, "hailing from Sidney. My style is Muay Thai."

"That's the national martial art of Thailand," said Kairi.

"Right on the spot, mate," said Julia Eckhart.

"So you're here for the tournament as well?" Sora asked.

"You got that right, boyo," said Kyle O'Harra, "but this isn't turning out to be my kind of party, yet."

"We've plowed through the past two and a half days without hardly breaking a sweat," said Jean-Louise D'Arch, "_bien trop facile pour mon goût_."

"It's been too easy for us as well," said Riku, "we were told that the preliminaries would be a cake walk for those who are serious martial artists, and those who are only bullies and thugs would get tossed out first."

"Well I can promise you blokes this," said Julia Eckhart, "this girl from down under is serious about her art."

"So are we," said Kyle O'Harra.

"_Mortellement serious_," said Jean-Louise.

"We're serious as well," said Kairi, "and so were those others, the Kuno siblings. They may be messed up in their heads, but from what I could tell, they're very serious about their styles of fighting."

"They should be serious," said Riku, "remember, Nodoka Sensei told us about them before."

"Really?" Sora asked.

"She did," said Riku, "she told us that Tatewaki Kuno was one of Ranma's rivals. He's a master at Kendo and other swordsman styles, but can be completely oblivious to the truth, even when it stares him in the face. He claims to be a man of honor, but he's really a chauvinistic womanizer who is constantly falling in love with pretty girls. He hates Ranma and wishes to marry Akane Tendo, though she hates him back almost as much as she hates Ranma, or any other boy for that matter.

"And Kodatchi Kuno is just as bad. She has the potential to be an Olympic gymnastic champion, but she prefers to use her skills in martial arts, and can be a very good fighter. But she's also a Machiavellian, using cunning, deceit and a whole galaxy of dirty tricks to get her way, especially when it comes to winning. She's hopelessly obsessed with Ranma and hates Akane with a vengeance. Trust me when I say that the Kuno siblings are dangerous."

"_Donc nous avons raisonné_," said Jean-Louise. "Maybe we'll all end up in the top 32."

"Maybe we'll be the ones to stop those flaming idiots from wining the tournament," said Kyle O'Harra.

"Maybe," said Sora.

"Where's Miley?" Kairi asked.

* * *

Miley was just outside the door to the café, having a very serious discussion with Robbie Ray on her cell phone.

"Why didn't you tell me about this, daddy?" an outraged Miley asked, "I have a right to know that my reputation as Hannah is being dragged through the mud."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, darlin,'" said Robbie Ray, "I just didn't want you to worry about some rotten trash magazine making you look bad. But I took care of it, and they apologized for letting some sleaze bag of a photographer get away with what he did."

"I know," said Miley, "I saw the reprint. They said some very nice things in that apology. Thanks for handling it for me, dad."

"That's what I'm here for," said Robbie Ray, "now, as your father, I'm gonna have to ask if you're being careful."

"I'm with friends, daddy," said Miley, "and Roxy's not far away," she looked at a nearby outdoor table, where Roxy was having lunch. Roxy looked at Miley and winked, while Miley winked back.

"Well just so long as you're safe," said Robbie Ray.

"I am safe, daddy," said Miley, "you just worry about making sure Jackson keeps his room clean. There's still time for him to mess things up."

"I doubt that," said Robbie Ray, "for once, Jackon's being a responsible young adult. It's been over two months, and he's kepk his room spotless since."

"Wow," said an impressed Miley, "I honestly didn't noticed. You think he'll make it?"

"He's got a few more days before the final rounds of the tournament," said Robbie Ray, "and I've got the VIP ticket he wants so badly in my pocket. If he can make it till then, that ticket's all his."

"I'll believe it when I see it," said Miley, "I got to go, daddy. My friends are waiting for me."

"Just be careful, Miles," said Robbie Ray.

"I will," said Miley. She hung up her phone, nodded at Roxy and went back inside. "Anything I missed?" she asked.

"Only that those two crazy idiots who just left are serious fighters that we were warned about," said Kairi, "but I think we can handle them."

"I think the Kuno siblings are the least of our problems," said Riku, "remember, there's still the other rivals and fiancées of Ranma that we'll run into."

"Let's hope that we make it far enough to deal with those guys," said Sora.

"Well, it's been fun meeting you fine people," said Kyle O'Harra, "but I really must be going now, my next match is coming up."

"As is mine," said Jean-Louise D'Arch.

"Mine to," said Julia Eckhart, "well, good luck to you blokes, here's hoping we all meet in the top 32."

"Good luck to you to," said Kairi.

"_Bonne chance_," said Jean Louise, "_le mai notre réunion suivante être comme les amis_. May our next meeting be as friends." Everyone then said their goodbyes and the three other fighters left the café.

"We've got matches coming up soon also," said Aiden as he checked his watch, "so we'd better have lunch quick."

* * *

A short while later our heroes, and Miley, had finished lunch and headed back to the tournament area.

"Lilly and Oliver should be back soon," said Miley, "we'll try to cheer you on, but there's four of you and only three of us."

"Don't worry about me," said Aiden, "I'll brush though the rest of the prelim's without any support."

"You sure about that?" Sora asked.

"Believe me, I've got this covered," said Aiden as he headed for his match.

"Whatever floats your boat," said Kairi.

* * *

The rest of the preliminary rounds passed a bit more slowly than the past two and a half days. Now that most of the riffraff had been eliminated from the competition, Sora and his friends were now facing much more serious martial artists.

But thanks to their training and experiences, and with a little help from Miley, Lilly and Oliver cheering them on, Sora, Riku and Kairi made it through the last of the preliminary rounds with only moderate difficulty.

"I can't believe it!" said Kairi as she held an icepack on a bruise on her arm she received from a fighter who used Karate, while she also had a slightly swollen lip, "we made it to the top 32!"

"We're going to meet Hannah Montana!" shouted Riku as he limped over, his ankle was twisted from when he was caught in a submission hold from a fighter who used Judo.

"I've been thrown all over the ring," said a rather roughed up Sora, "I think I have a fractured wrist, and I think I may have a concussion," he grinned eagerly, "and I feel so happy!"

"You want me to take care of that?" Kairi asked.

"Not in pubic," said Riku in a hushed tone.

Just then Miley, Lilly and Oliver ran over, "You guys were fantastic!" shouted Lilly, "you were all, 'I'm not backing down!' and the other fighters were all 'you're going down!' and you were like 'no way!' and you kicked their butts!"

"I feel like I've had my butt kicked as well," said Sora.

"You look like it," said Oliver.

"I've seen worse," said Miley, "this one time, my Uncle Earl thought he could outlast a boxing kangaroo. He spent a week in the hospital."

"I've heard a lot about your Uncle Earl," said Kairi, "and I just want to say that I really don't want to meet him."

"Wish we could say the same," said Lilly.

"I think I really do have a concussion," said Sora as he held his head.

"Well there are those healing devices," said Kairi as she pointed out the 'medics' in the white coats, "let's see if those things really do work."

As it turned out, the healing devices provided by the Heartstone Foundation really did work. One of the 'medics' held the device over Sora's head and turned it on. The device hummed softly and emitted a strange blue light that healed the injury to Sora's head within seconds. The medic then took care of Sora's other injuries.

"They really do work," said Riku as his ankle was also healed, while Kairi's bruised arm and swollen lip were also restored.

"This is just minor stuff," said the medic who worked on Riku, "mild to moderate injuries. Wait until the final rounds start, then we'll see some serious hurting."

"Lucky us," said Sora.

Nodoka then came over, "I just heard that you three made it to the top 32. I can't tell you how proud I am right now."

"We wouldn't have made it without your training, Nodoka Sensei," said Riku.

"We could have," said Sora, "but not as easily."

"Show some respect," said Kairi.

"It's alright," said Nodoka, "I'm just glad you had fun, so far. The final rounds are when things are supposed to get interesting."

"I wouldn't know," said a very irate Aiden as he limped over, using his wooden Keyblade as a crutch. He had several cuts on his face and arms, a few broken ribs and a fractured radius in his left arm, "I lost my last match of the prelims!"

"How'd that happen!" exclaimed Sora.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," said Aiden as he sat down and allowed a medic to use the healing device on him. His injuries were healed within seconds, but he still sounded angry, "the girl I was facing was really good, I mean really, really good. She had these short sticks in her hands and used them as if they were knives. Every time I tried to hit her she blocked me with those sticks, then hit me in retaliation.

"Then some idiot watching fight took a picture and the flashbulb distracted me. The girl I was fighting, she hit me on the back of the head and knocked me out of the ring and I landed on my arm. I tried to get back up, but I ran out of time and was disqualified."

"That's awful," said Kairi, "we were supposed to all make it to the top 32, then to the final four, so that we all would have a chance of winning the tournament."

"Don't make me feel bad about it any more than I already am," said Aiden, "I still can't believe I lost to a girl with sticks. You know what makes this even more embarrassing? After the referee declared her the winner, she told me that I shouldn't feel bad about losing to her, that I never had a chance against her."

"I don't believe that," said Miley, "I saw you fight on the webcams, you're good." at that Lilly and Oliver nodded in agreement.

"Not as good as that girl, apparently," said Aiden, "she told me that she wrestles water buffalo on a regular basis as part of her training."

"That's some serious training," said an impressed Lilly.

"This isn't that big a deal, Aiden," said Nodoka, "there'll always be another tournament."

"I know that," said Aiden, "and I'm going to try my best the next time, but will I get to meet Hanna Montana then? I was really looking forward to meeting her at the party for the top 32."

"So now you're a Hannah fan?" Oliver asked.

"When one of your friends goes on and on about how great someone is for months on end," said Aiden, eyeing Riku, "you get interested really quick, so yes, I've listened to Hananh's music and seen some of her videos, and I'm happy to admit that yes, I am a fan."

"Well, how about this," said Miley, "since Sora, Kairi and Riku are going to meet her, why don't they ask her to sign a special autograph for you, Aiden. I'm sure if your friends ask Hannah really nice, she'll do it."

"She would," said Oliver, while Lilly nodded in agreement.

"You guys would do that?" Aiden asked as he looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "ask Hannah for an autograph for me?"

"It's on our to do list," said Kairi, while Sora and Riku nodded in agreement.

Kairi then looked shocked, "oh, we're going to the party."

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"We're going to the party," said Kairi, "And I have nothing to wear! I thought I would bring that dress I bought back on…that island…but what with our training schedule, I forgot to pack it."

Sora knew what Kairi was talking about. While sailing with Luffy and his crew, they stopped to pick up supplies and do some shopping, while Kairi saw something she really liked in a dress shop. She bought what caught her eye, but she hadn't shown it to Sora or anyone else yet, saying that it would be for a special occasion.

"I don't have anything formal to wear either," said Sora.

"We were to focused on the tournament itself," said Riku, "we didn't even think about bringing along formal clothing for the party."

"You can relax," said Nodoka, "there's dozens of boutiques near the hotel, and you can borrow my credit card so you can get what you need, within reason."

"Has anyone told you, Nodoka Sensei," said Kairi, "that you are the best sensei in the world?"

"I've been told," said Nodoka, "but you can't go shopping yet. You four have homework to do."

"Homework?" exclaimed Sora, "but we've been excused from school until we get back from the tournament, and that includes homework."

"This is a different kind of homework," said Nodoka, "all the preliminary fights are available online, so we can watch review fights so you can learn what you need to do and not do in the final rounds.

"Also, I'd like to review Aiden's fight where he lost. I'd like to see what you, Sora, and Riku and Kairi will be up against in the finals."

"Do we really have to watch my losing to a girl?" an embarrassed Aiden asked.

"I'd like to know what kind of girl could beat you," said Riku.

"And I'd like to see how some other fighters did," said Kairi, "like Adam Callahan."

"And Kyle O'Harra," said Sora, "and Jean-Louise D'Arch, and Julia Eckhart."

"We made some friends today, Sensei," said Aiden, "and some enemies."

"The Kuno siblings," said an irate Riku, "Tatewaki and Kodatchi, the insane idiots who clearly have it in for Hannah Montana."

"They didn't look like they hated Hannah," said Miley, "not to me. They just seemed weird."

"They should be weird," said Nodoka, "the Kuno siblings are obsessed with my son. Tatewaki wants to kill him, while Kodatchi wishes to marry him."

"Definitely crazy and stupid," said Oliver.

"Total wacko's," said Lilly

"If there's any justice in this world," said Riku, "they both were eliminated from the tournament."

"As a matter of fact," said Nodoka, "both of them made it to the top 32."

"You got to be kidding me!" said Sora, "We're going to have to fight those two weirdoes?"

"I'm afraid so," said Nodoka, "and the other Nermia weirdoes. The other rivals and fiancées of my son also made it to the top 32, as did Akane and Ranma."

"So not only will we have to face Ranma," said Kairi, "but we'll also have to face everyone else that has made his life miserable?"

"Again, unfortunately yes," said Nodoka, "so I suggest we head back to the hotel were we can get to work."

"It'd be nice to know what we're up against," said Riku.

"You guys enjoy the show," said Aiden, "right now I just want to go back to my hotel room and order room service."

"That can wait," said Nodoka, "you have to study with the others. I want you to know exactly what happened that made you lost, so it doesn't happen again."

"Just my luck," muttered Aiden.

"We'd better go," said Kairi to Miley, "the last thing my friends and I want is to make Sensei upset with us after all she's done for us."

"An angry teacher isn't something anyone would want," said Miley.

"Yeah, we've had some angry teachers to," said Lilly.

"It's not a pretty story to tell," said Oliver, "so, good luck with the rest of the tournament."

"We'll do our best," said Sora.

"And we'll ask Hannah if she can sign some autographs for you guys too," said Riku.

"Oh, we've got plenty of her autographs," said Lilly, "remember? She's practically family."

"But we will cheer you on in the finals," said Oliver, "we've got tickets."

"We'll be there," said Miley, "defiantly."

"Okay then," said a slightly confused Sora, "so, we'll see you at the finals then."

Everyone said their goodbyes, while Miley and her friends also wished Sora, Riku and Kairi good luck.

"What are we going to do?" Lilly asked Miley and Oliver once Sora and the others were out of earshot, "how can we cheer them on from the audience if Miley's doing the commentary as Hannah and me and Oliver are in the VIP seats?"

"I think we've got a bigger problem," said Miley, "Sora, Riku and Kairi will be at the party for the top 32. What if they recognize me?"

"They won't recognize you," said Oliver, "I went to school with you for three years before you told me you were Hannah, and I never figured it out."

"We've got everyone else at school fooled," said Lilly, "even Jake was fooled. And of course, there's Rico."

"Oh yeah," said Miley, clearly feeling better, "even that little punk still hasn't figured it out."

"You see?" said Oliver, "there's nothing to worry about, except for that maniac who wants to kidnap you in front of the whole world."

"Thanks for bringing that up," said an irate Lilly.

"It's okay," said Miley, "I'm alright. I'm sure that the FBI is doing their best. And if they don't, there's their backup plan."

"Where they have several martial artists from the tournament protect you?" Oliver asked.

"Hey, wait a second," said Lilly, "you don't think that…"

"That Sora, Riku and Kairi could be working for the FBI?" Miley asked, "I…I really don't know."

"It's possible," said Oliver, "they are pretty strong."

"We'll just have to wait," said Lilly, "and hope that we don't find out."

"If the dang FBI could just catch that maniac," said Miley, "I wouldn't have this problem any more."

* * *

"The riffraff our 'champ' been creaming isn't worth our time," said Ursula as she and Hades escorted the Heartless fighter out of the tournament area. The creature, who's 'name' was Tom Smith, easily defeated every fighter it faced in the preliminaries.

"But now it's in the clear to face Sora and the other brats," said Hades, "and to completely annihilate the other wimps in the finals."

"While we move in from the shadows," said Ursula, "and pick up any fighter with a strong yet potentially dark heart."

"Maleficent wants chaos in this world," said Hades, "we'll give her chaos alright."

"More than she could ever want," said Ursula.

* * *

The Maniac sat under a hanging bulb in a single room in an anonymous motel in downtown L.A. A copy of the tabloid that had the faked scandal photos of Hannah lay on a table, with a copy of the issue that had the apology next to it.

"They can't get away with this," said the maniac in a deranged tone, "there's no way those bastards are getting away with just a simple apology. Somebody has to make them pay for what they put Hannah through!"

He pulled out from a belt clip a long hunting knife and began sharpening it, "those bastards have to pay for telling such lies about Hannah. They have to pay! I'll make them pay!"

He then stuck the knife point first into the magazine that had the photos in it, "they'll all pay, starting with that low life scumbag who thought he could make a few dollars by dragging Hannah's name through the mud!"

He then walked over to another table where a large set of tools and the makings of several bombs were laid out, "then I'll take care of that filthy rag sheet who thought they could make money by exploiting Hannah. Oh they'll pay alright."

He then looked at the far wall of the single room apartment with adoring eyes. The entire wall was covered with pictures of Hannah Montana; posters, album covers, news photos of her with other celebrities, photos of Hannah accepting awards, photos of her, photos of Hannah at her concerts."

"Soon, my darling," said the maniac as he went to work finishing a bomb, "soon we will be together. Then nothing will ever tear us apart, ever."

**The end of chapter 3.**

Next chapter, our heroes go to the party with the rest of the finalists and meet Hannah Montana, as well as Ranma and all the other Nermia weirdos. But they'll also meet someone so evil that Maleficent wants him personally for her 'collective'. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4: The Party

Last time found Sora and the others battling their way through the preliminary rounds of the tournament. As Adam Callahan said, the majority of the prelims were stacked with blowhards and bullies with more muscle then fighting ability, allowing Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden to power through the first two days of the prelims. Things got harder on the third day of the prelims. During a lunch break, our heroes met up with Miley at a local café. There they met a few other martial artist in the tournament. Three of them; Jean-Louise D'arch, Kyle O'harra and Julia Eckhart, turned out to be pretty nice. The other two, Tatewaki and Kodatchi Kuno, brother and sister, turned out to be not so nice. Aside from willing to believe the worst about Hannah Montana (especially when it came to a lie printed in a tabloid magazine) the Kuno siblings turned out to be some of the people making Ranma's life so miserable; Kodatchi wanting to marry him and Tatewaki wanting to kill him.

The day ended with Sora, Riku and Kairi advancing to the top 32, while Aiden washed out in the last prelim round, much to his humiliation.

Elsewhere, the maniac who desires Hannah Montana plotted revenge against the paparazzi photographer responsible for the tabloid lie. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 4: The Party**

Sora and the others spent the rest of the evening after the prelims studding their matches, seeing via webcam recordings where they could have improved their fighting techniques. Nodoka kept reassuring Sora, Riku and Kairi that by learning where they made potentially devastating mistakes, such as moving too slow during a specific movement, or not reacting to an enemy movement quickly enough, they wouldn't make such mistakes again when it truly mattered, such as during the finals.

"I won't have the rest of my students be eliminated in the first round of the finals," said Nodoka, "you're physically ready, but your minds still need to be sharpened."

"And I thought Phil was a tough trainer," said Sora, "Hercules wouldn't last a day under your training, Sensei."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Nodoka.

After reviewing over half of the preliminary matches our heroes were in, Nodoka told her students to get some sleep and would resume their 'homework' after breakfast. The next morning she got Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Aiden, up bright and early to review the rest of their matches.

"The party for the top 32 is tomorrow night," said Kairi, "at this rate, we'll never have the time to get ready."

"At least you guys have a party to go to," said a slightly depressed Aiden, "all I have to look forward to tomorrow night is sitting in front of a High Definition Plasma Screen, watching movies that are still in theaters, where as you three get to meet Hannah Montana."

"I told you we'd bring back her autograph for you," said Riku, "it'll be the first thing I ask her. No, make that second, no, third…it's on my list of definite things to ask her."

"Whatever makes you happy," said Aiden.

Eventually Sora and the others finished watching their matches after lunch. Just when they thought they had some free time, Nodoka then had them watch Aiden's final match where he lost.

"You see there?" Nodoka asked as she paused the recording right where Aiden got hit on the back of the head with a stick, "what does that tell you, Aiden?"

"Not to get hit on the back of the head?" Aiden asked as he felt where he got hit. His head didn't hurt, but the memory of being struck there was still alive and hurt in another way.

"You let your guard down for two seconds," said Nodoka, "I know that doesn't seem important, but there are fighters, the girl you lost to included, who can use those two seconds to get the upper hand and seize victory." She resumed the recording and everyone saw Aiden fall out of the ring. He struggled to get back up against the pain in his head and failed to get back into the ring after the 10-count from the referee.

"Let's see that again," said Nodoka as she rewound the recording to just before Aiden got hit, "that's where you took your eyes off your opponent."

"Some idiot watching the fight took a picture," said Aiden, "the flashbulb made me see spots for a bit."

"Well there'll be thousands of camera flashes going off during the final rounds," said Nodoka as she looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "I hope you three will learn not to let such simple things distract you."

"I won't," said Sora, "I've been fighting The Heartless long enough to not let myself be distracted by something like a camera flash."

"Oh really?" Kairi asked mischievously as she held up her cell phone and aimed it at Sora, "then what's this?" she used the camera feature and took Sora's picture.

"Your phone doesn't have a flashbulb," said Sora.

"Oh," said Kairi in a sheepish tone.

"Not everything will work out as you hope it will," said Nodoka, "I can't prepare you for everything that your opponents will throw at you, but I can try my best," she repeatedly replayed the few seconds of footage where Aiden got knocked out of the ring, "so this doesn't happen to you."

"Do you mind stopping that, Sensei?" Aiden asked in an embarrassed tone, "I think we've seen enough of my humiliating defeat."

"I'm just trying to make a point," said Nodoka as she closed the video window on the laptop she was using, "now, since you've been so patient with me today and yesterday, I'll let you have the rest of today to yourselves, and tomorrow as well, so you three," she looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "can get ready for that party."

"Has anyone told you how great a Sensei you are, Nodoka Sensei?" Kairi asked eagerly.

"It's come across in some conversations," said Nodoka.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of today?" Riku asked.

"I think I'll see if Miley is available," said Kairi as she dialed her friend's number, but before she finished dialing, she received a text, "it's from Miley. She's with her family tonight."

"Well that puts an end to that plan," said Sora. He smiled, "but I think we can keep ourselves occupied."

"Is this a date you're asking me out on?" Kairi asked as she smiled back.

"It might be," said Sora.

"Have fun you two," said Aiden, "I'm going to crash in my room until dinner, then I'll go check out the indoor pool this hotel has."

"I think I'll go swimming to," said Riku, "but before dinner. Afterwards I'll need to practice."

"We're as ready for the final rounds as we can be," said Sora, "what else do you need to practice for?"

"I need to practice what I'm going to say to Hannah," said Riku, "and unless you want to embarrass yourself in front of the biggest star in pop music, I suggest you do the same."

"I already know what I'm going to say when I meet Hannah," said Kairi, "I'll say that I love her music and that she's an inspiration to the world. From there I'll see where things go."

"Same with me," said Sora.

"Suit yourself," said Riku, "but I fully intend to make a lasting impression."

"I'm sure she'll find you absolutely charming," said Kairi. She looked at Sora, "so, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Whatever that makes you happy," said Sora.

The two of them took a bus to Malibu and walked along the shore of the Pacific Ocean. They then had dinner at an old-style pizzeria, then walked up and down the boardwalk for another hour before going back to the hotel.

"I think I'll need tomorrow to myself," said Kairi, "this party tomorrow night is going to be a big thing, so I'll want to get something very special for it."

"Good thing Nodoka Sensei's lending us her credit cards," said Sora. They said their goodnights, kissed, kissed again, then finally went to their separate rooms and went to bed.

**DREAM SEQUENCE**

Once again, Sora found himself running through the strange, gloomy forest, chasing after the strange yet beautiful Girl Who Runs With Wolves. Yet unlike other encounters with the enigmatic girl, Sora was able to run fast enough to keep her in sight.

He looked to his left and saw Riku running with him and to his right was Kairi and Aiden.

"Wait!" shouted Riku, "we need to talk to you!"

The girl turned her head to smile back at Sora and the others and called out, "you're not ready yet!"

"What the hell does that mean!" shouted Aiden.

"At least tell us your name!" shouted Kairi.

The girl said something, but the words were lost on the wind….

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

Sora abruptly woke up and dashed out of bed to the door to the hallway. He looked out to see Riku, Kairi and Aiden also looking out their doors, since their rooms in the hotel were next to each other.

"She said her name!" said Aiden as the four of them gathered in Sora's room, "that girl, The Girl Who Runs With Wolves, she said her name, I'm sure of it!"

"But what did she say?" Kairi asked, "I couldn't hear her name."

"I didn't hear it either," said Sora.

"I think I heard some of it," said Riku, "I could be wrong, but I think her name starts with an R."

"'R,'" said Sora, "Rachel? Rebecca?"

"Roberta?" Kairi said, "Rayne? Ramona? Raven?"

"Regina? Riley?" said Aiden, "Reyna? Rhea?" he sighed in frustration, "this is getting us nowhere!"

"The only reason we're getting so hung up about this is because we all feel that we need to talk to this girl," said Riku, "whoever she is. But do we know she is an actual person?"

"You mean she could just be a group hallucination?" Kairi asked.

"I'm saying that anything is possible," said Riku, "and until we know what's really going on, I don't think we should take this so seriously."

"How can we not take this seriously?" Aiden asked, "we all keep having the same dreams. If this girl isn't real, then why are we having the dreams in the first place?"

"I don't know," said Riku as he looked at the clock, seeing that it was after midnight but still hours before dawn, "but at this time I have other things to worry about."

"We should go back to sleep," said Sora, "the three of us have a lot to do later," Riku and Kairi nodded in agreement.

"Not me," said Aiden, "all I've got to look forward to tomorrow is a whole day and night of channel surfing."

"Enjoy the airwaves," said Kairi as she yawned, "well boys, it's been fun having this late night meeting, but I've got to go," she kissed Sora, "see you later."

"You are one lucky stiff," said Aiden to Sora as he and Riku went back to their rooms.

"Lucky," said Sora as he went back to bed. He wondered if he and the others would dream of the girl again, but they slept soundly for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Ya know," said Hades to Ursula as they stood on the roof of the hotel where Sora and the others were staying, "we've got a chance to crush those brats right here and now."

"Do we now?" Ursula asked.

"We'll just have our champ here," said Hades, indicating the Heartless fighter, "demolish this hotel. Sora and the other losers are sound asleep. By the time they realize what hit them, they'd already be down in the underworld."

"We could do that," said Ursula, "it would be so much easier if the meddling brats were out of the way, but we won't do that."

"What's to stop us?" Hades asked, "in fact, we don't even need our champ." the flame-haired god summoned a fireball, "I could burn the house down and the Keyblade Brats would be charbroiled."

"But we won't," said Ursula, "because then the brats wouldn't know that it was we who did them in."

"You have a point there, toots," said Hades as he extinguished his fireball, "so, since you're so full of hot ideas, what's the plan?"

"We have our champ win the tournament, of course," said Ursula, "I don't know what you did to that heart you used to create this wonderful specimen, but he seems to get stronger after each fight. "

"Well of course he's getting stronger with each fight," said Hades, "he's absorbing all the energy an opponent tries to use on him. Every time he gets punched, kicked, thrown, whatever the opposition does to try and defeat him, he just absorbs all that energy and it makes him stronger."

"But will he be strong enough to defeat Sora and the other brats?" Ursula asked, "we were fortunate that the Keyblade Alchemist was eliminated from the tournament. Maleficent wants him alive, since he has the identities of the remaining Princesses of Heart in his subconscious, but our champ has to face Sora, Riku and Kairi."

"Which is why I'm going to, ahem, 'arrange,' the placing of the fighters for the final rounds," said Hades, "so that he won't get to fight Sora and the other two until almost the end. By then, our champ will have absorbed enough energy to be all but invincible; not even that muscle-bound chump Hercules will stand a chance against him."

"Now that is something I have to see," said Ursula, "and when our champ is finished with Hercules, there's a certain red-haired mermaid turned human I'd like to introduce him to, and then I'll fit him with gills so he can pay a certain undersea realm a visit."

"We'll both get what we want," said Hades, "you can count on that."

* * *

The majority of the following day passed rather slowly for Sora. He met Kairi for breakfast, but after eating, she simply gave him a quick kiss and went out to find, in her words, "The perfect outfit for tonight."

"What is it with girls and fashion?" Sora asked as he and Riku went to a nearby tuxedo store, for the party information clearly made it a formal affair.

"I've often thought of that," said Riku, "with us guys, all we need is $50 or so to rent a tux, and we can find the right sized suit and everything that goes with it in a half an hour, 45 minutes at the most, per person that is.

"But with girls, they need hours to find an outfit that will cost hundreds, sometimes thousands, and they'll most likely to wear that outfit once in their lives. Or does that only apply to wedding dresses? I don't know."

"Let's just find what we need for tonight," said Sora, "I'd like to have some time to look at the footage of the prelims again."

"We've reviewed our matches dozens of times," said Riku, "what else do you want to know?"

"I want to see how the other fighters did," said Sora, "we know that Ranma made it to the top 32, but what about those others we met in the café? Kyle O'Harra, Jean-Louise D'Arch and Julia Eckhart. And what about that guy we met when we first got to L.A., Adam Callahan."

"Oh yeah," said Riku, "it would be nice to see if they made it, and to see who else did," he scowled, "I just wish those two Hannah hating idiots would do something that gets them disqualified."

"The Kuno Siblings?" Sora asked, "they sure were weird."

"If we do end up fighting them," said Riku, "I hope to be the ones to eliminate them both from the competition."

"I won't stand in your way," said Sora, "but don't let this go to your head. It's just a tournament."

"A tournament where two insane idiots insulted Hannah Montana," said Riku through gritted teeth. He sighed, "but you're right, I shouldn't get so strung up about it. If I see the Kuno siblings, I'll be civil, if they're civil to me. But I'll promise you this, Sora, if those idiots insult Hannah while she's there, I'll knock some sense into them myself."

"I'd be crazy to try to stop you," said Sora.

Eventually he and Riku found a style of tuxedo that they liked and rented each a suit in their sizes. They went back to the hotel to relax before the party. Sora passed the time by watching the matches of his new friends, wile occasionally writing notes for Jiminy's journal.

As Sora watched his friends, Kyle, Julia, Jean-Louise and Adam, fight, he soon came to know that they were good, really good, good enough to make it onto the finals even.

But before he saw the final matches of his friends, Sora had the sudden urge to watch the final matches of the Kuno siblings. He saw that Tatewaki Kuno was an outstanding swordsman, easily knocking his opponent out of the ring several times, while the opponent, who was a karate user, kept getting back into the ring, but then Tatewaki delivered a strike to the fighters' head that resulted in a TKO.

Sora then saw the match that won Kodatchi Kuno's place in the top 32. The insane gymnast was incredibly fast and agile, and used a gymnastics ribbon like a whip, ensnaring her opponent around the neck that rendered her unconscious within seconds.

Then, again on impulse, Sora saw the final match that Ranma was in. There on the screen of the laptop was Nodoka's son, Ranma Saotome. He was tall with black hair tied back in a short pigtail and blue eyes. He wore a red Chinese-style shirt with white cuffs and black pants.

Ranma had a slightly depressed look on his face all during the fight, as if his heart really wasn't in the match. But that didn't stop him from completely dominating the match. He seemed to have god-like speed and strength that allowed him to easily dodge every attack his opponent threw at him, while sending the opponent out of the ring far enough render the 10-count a little redundant with just one punch.

Sure enough, Sora knew that he, Riku and Kairi were in for one tough tournament if they had to face the likes of Ranma Saotome and the others from Nermia. But that was for later. Sora realized that it was nearly 6:00, while the party was schedule to start at 7:30.

He got a shower, dried off and got dressed in his tuxedo. He met Riku outside in the hallway and they headed for the elevator.

"I feel like James Bond," said Riku as he looked at his reflection in the elevator door.

"So do I," said Sora. As the elevator doors opened, he realized that someone wasn't there, "where's Kairi?"

"She said she'd meet us in the lobby," said Riku, "something about making an entrance."

Downstairs they meet Nodoka, who was to be their chaperone for the evening. She was wearing an formal, indigo-colored kimono and had let her hair down.

"Well, don't you two look dashing," said Nodoka.

"We try, Nodoka Sensei," said Riku.

Just the Sora saw someone coming down the stairs from the far side of the room. He had to blink several times, while his blood pressure went up several notches at the sight of Kairi in a pink and white ball gown, complete with white elbow-length gloves and red shoes.

"Close your mouth, Sora," said Nodoka, "you'll attract flies."

Sora's jaw had dropped. He closed it abruptly as Kairi walked over.

"I assume you're my date for the evening," said Kairi.

Sora blushed heavily, but nodded as he held out his arm, "shall we?"

"We shall," said Kairi as she took his arm. A limo from the Heartstone Foundation was waiting for them outside to take them to the party, which was being held at another hotel.

"Those two were made for each other," said Riku as he and Nodoka followed Sora and Kairi.

"You can't honestly tell me that you're not feeling lonely right now, Riku," said Nodoka.

"I'll find my soul mate when I find her, Sensei," said Riku, "no sooner."

"Well you won't be alone tonight," said a smiling Nodoka, "I can be your date if you'd like."

"Nodoka Sensei!" said a shocked Riku, "for crying out loud, you're a married woman, and I'm still underage."

"Yes," sighed Nodoka, "I am a married woman, unfortunately. You do realize my disgrace of a husband will be there tonight? And Soun Tendo. They'll be chaperones for Ranma and Akane, as if those two need their so-called fathers to supervise them. No, the two 'boys' will be stuffing their faces at the buffet table, if I know them at all."

"With all due respect, Sensei," said Riku as they all reached the limo, "if you're so unhappy with your marriage, why not get a divorce?"

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about," said Kairi, "then you should get a divorce, Sensei. If my husband did to me what yours did to you, I'd get a divorce so fast, his head would spin."

"I'd never do to you what Genma did to Nodoka Sensei," said Sora as the limo pulled away form the hotel, "I'd die first."

"I'd appreciate the advice," said Nodoka, "but, I don't think I'll be annulling my marriage, not yet anyway. Despite all my husbands' faults, in a way, I still love him."

"Well, as long as he still loves you," said Riku, "I'm okay with it."

"So am I, I guess," said Sora.

"I still say Genma Saotome is an unscrupulous bastard who should never have been allowed to have his way," said Kairi, "but if you're still willing to give him a chance, Sensei, then so am I."

"Thanks for understanding," said Nodoka.

* * *

"I still can't believe that the dang gone FBI hasn't caught that maniac yet," said Robbie Ray as the limo drove him, Miley, as Hannah, as well as Lilly and Oliver. Lilly was disguised as Hannah's best friend, international jet-setter Lola Luffnagal, wearing a green and blue top with an orange and yellow skirt and a short pale orange wig. Oliver was in his usual rapper outfit and goatee of Mike Stanley III.

As for Miley, her Hannah outfit for tonight was a gold top and jacket with a silver and platinum skirt and sapphire colored shoes.

"They'll catch the maniac when they catch him, daddy," said Miley, "honestly, you're more stressed out over this than I am, and I'm the girl who's life is at stake."

"Darlin' I'm more stressed out than the time Uncle Earl tried his luck as a taffy puller," said Robbie Ray, "now that was stressed out."

"I honestly don't know why you're more worried, Mr. Stewart," said Oliver, "I mean, sure, Miley's being targeted by a lunatic that wants to kidnap her in front of hundreds of millions of people, but that's nothing to get all hung up about, right? I mean, they're going to catch the creep, right?"

"I hope so," said Robbie Ray, "'cause if they don't then we're moving to Guam."

"I don't think all of Hannah's fans would be happy if she moved to Guam," said Lilly, "I mean, how serious can this nut case be?"

"Serious enough to attack the photographer who faked those photos of Hannah," said Robbie Ray, "the guy wound up in the hospital with 45 stab wounds, including shredded tendons in his hands. He's lucky to still be alive, but he'll never take a picture again."

"So the maniac took it upon himself to avenge Hannah's honor," said Miley in a slightly unsure tone, "one less sleazebag photographer off the streets."

"The whack job also firebombed the magazine office that published the fake pictures," said Robbie Ray, "the FBI managed to keep it quite, and made it sound like an electrical fire, but it was still a bomb."

"So," said a still unsure sounding Miley, "one less scandal rag to make Hannah and every other celebrity look bad."

"Did you forget the part where the maniac emailed Hannah, saying he did it for you?" Robbie Ray asked, "now you look me in the eye and tell me that I'm being too stressful."

Miley tried to do that, but she couldn't, "okay, you're right to worry about it. But that doesn't mean I have to give up my life as Hannah. There's still time for the FBI to catch the maniac, and there's still their backup plan. They told me today that they've chosen from the fighters in the top 32 who would protect me during the tournament. I won't know them at first, but when the time comes, I'll know them."

"Well, I still think we shouldn't be in public as long as this maniac is on the lose," said Robbie Ray, "but you're almost an adult now, Miles, and I trust you on this."

"Thanks, daddy," said Miley.

"And if that maniac wants to take Miley," said Oliver, "he'll have to get though us first."

"We're like a wall," said Lilly, "a human wall."

"You two are the best," said Miley.

"Of course we are," said Oliver as he and Lilly embraced, "me and Lilly-pop were made for each other."

"You're so sweet, Ollie-pop," said Lilly. They then kissed.

"You keep that up," said Robbie Ray, "and you're ridin' in your own limo from now on."

"Will it have a PS3 in it?" Oliver asked eagerly.

"And an X-Box 360?" Lilly asked, "and digital radio and cable?

"We'll talk," said Robbie Ray as the limo pulled up to the back entrance of the hotel where the party for the top 32 fighters was being held.

They met Roxy, and Special Agent Rebecca Covingtin, who was wearing a dark blue suit and wore glasses and looked several years younger, inside the door, "just checked with both the hotel security and the Foundation security people," said Roxy, "all clear."

"And we've checked the other hotels within a three block radius," said Rebecca Covington, "if any trouble heads our way, we'll know about it ahead of time."

"So there's nothing to worry about," said Miley as they all headed for a private suit where they would wait until later, when the members of the Heartstone Foundation would introduce Hannah to the fighters.

"I think you spoke to soon," said Lilly. There at the far end of the hallway was none other than Miley's complicated relationship, Jake Ryan.

"Oh boy," said a very unsteady Miley as she saw Jake, and he saw her and started walking over.

"You want me to take care of this little heartbreak kid?" Roxy asked.

"If that guy is a problem," said Rebecca Covington, "I'll break his head in, if that's what you want."

"The farther he's away from us, the happier I'll be," said an irate Robbie Ray, "he's hurt my daughter one too many times. Just keep him away."

"Easily done," said Rebecca Covington as she and Roxy cracked their knuckles.

"No," said Miley as she regained her composure, "I'm alright. If Jake want's to talk, I'll talk."

"After what he and that rimes with witch Tracy did to you in Vegas?" Lilly asked, "have you blown a fuse or something?" she felt Miley's forehead, "you sure you're feeling well? Maybe it's the flu or something."

"I'm fine," said Miley in an insisting tone, "you guys go on ahead. I'll be alright, I promise."

"Well, okay," said Robbie Ray, "but if he tries something, I'll be on his hide like Aunt Pearl on a side of bacon."

"Save me a slice," said Roxy, "nobody hurts my girl and gets away with it."

"He won't hurt me," said Miley, "we're still friends." _More than friends_, thought Miley, _but is that all?_

Reluctantly, Robbie Ray, Roxy, Rebecca Covington, Lilly and Oliver left Miley alone in the hallway as Jake walked up to her. But the five of them hid behind the corner up ahead and listened.

"Hi," said Jake.

"Hi," said Miley in a slightly uncomfortable tone, "you cut your hair."

"Yeah," said Jake as he ran his had over his formerly long dirty blond hair that was now much shorter, "it's for the new movie I'm in."

"How's that going?" Miley asked.

"Good," said Jake, "I'm taking a break in the shooting so I could watch the finals of the tournament, but we should be finished filming in a few weeks or so."

"You always did like martial arts," said Miley.

"Yeah," said Jake, "so, how've you been since Vegas?"

"I'm okay," said Miley, "school's still the same old same old. I'm working on a new album and a new tour to go with it."

"I'll bet it'll be great," said Jake, "you always sound perfect on stage. Oh, did you hear? That slime ball of a photographer who tried to ruin your reputation got mugged."

"Really?" said Miley asked in a faked surprised tone, "that's terrible! Is he alright?"

"They say he got hurt pretty bad," said Jake, "that he'll never hold a camera again."

"Gee, that's awful," said Miley, "I mean… I'm sorry he got hurt, but I'm not surprised something bad happened to him. He was a paparazzi photographer, and who cares about what happens to them, right?"

"Yeah," said Jake in a slightly unsure tone, as if he suspected that Miley wasn't being completely honest, "well, did you also hear that the office where the tabloid magazine that published those faked photos had an electrical fire?"

"You're kidding!" said Miley in another tone of faked surprise, "well, how's that for karma?"

"Yeah, karma," said Jake in an unbelieving tone.

Miley sighed, "alright, Jake, I won't lie to you. That photographer wasn't mugged. Someone deliberately tried to kill him. And the fire at the magazine office, it wasn't an accident, it was arson."

"So what does it mean?" Jake asked, "somebody did all this to…what…avenge Hannah's honor?"

"That's exactly it," said Miley. She then told Jake about the emails she received from the maniac, that he would try to kidnap Hannah during the tournament award ceremony, the FBI's involvement, their plan to catch the lunatic, and how the FBI covered up the truth about the maniac's latest actions.

"The FBI is trying their best to find and catch the creep," said Miley, "but they haven't come close yet. They have a backup plan, but if the maniac is desperate enough to do what he did, then who knows what else he'll do?"

"And you're okay with this?" Jake asked, "going about like nothing's wrong while a lunatic is out there waiting for his chance to kidnap you?"

"Well what else would you have me do?" Miley asked, "burry my head in the sand on some remote beach in Guam or somewhere else and wait for it all to blow over? Not me, I'm not going to let some coozed up nut job ruin my life, and he's not going to ruin Hannah's life either."

"I'm not saying you should run away," said Jake, "heck, if I were in your place, if I had a stalker after me, I'd do everything I could to catch the maniac before she'd hurt anyone else."

"This coming from someone who ran away from a soccer mom with a tazer?" Miley asked.

"Well you ran to," said Jake.

They both laughed, "yeah," said Miley, "we both ran pretty fast, and Lilly and Oliver."

"So those two are together?" Jake asked.

"Like two possums sharing the same tree branch," said Miley, "they're happy with each other, and I'm glad they're happy. But they can be a little hard to be around sometimes."

"I can imagine how hard," said Jake. He then gave Miley a serious look, "I don't suppose we could try to be happy again? I mean, I did say I was sorry for that whole 'Gotcha' thing, and then what happened after I said I was sorry…"

"You're still on thin ice there, partner," said Miley sternly, "and let's just say that there's some people very close to me who would highly object to us getting back together," she gestured to around the corner and spoke in a louder tone, "some people who don't know how to mind their own business."

"Sorry!" shouted Lilly, only to be hushed by Oliver, Roxy and Robbie Ray.

"You're lucky to have them," said Jake, "they care so much about you that, for example, your dad would probably break my neck if I tried to ask you out on another date."

"You darn tooting I would!" shouted Robbie Ray, only to be hushed by Oliver, Lilly and Roxy.

"Let's talk about something else," said Miley, "something that my daddy won't get upset about."

"That's a good idea," said Jake, "you know, I've been thinking about trying my hand at producing."

"Really?" an intrigued Miley asked.

"I've got a few projects in mind that I want to explore after I'm finished with this film," said Jake, "and I have an idea that you might like."

"I'm listening," said Miley.

"How'd you like to be one of the lead roles in a remake of Xanadu?" Jake asked

"That psychedelic musical with Olivia Newton John?" an eager Miley asked, "'course I'd like to be in it. I can totally play a roller-skating muse."

"But can you really roller-skate?" Jake asked.

Miley looked at Jake as if he had just asked a really stupid question, "can I roller-skate?"

"Can you?" Jake asked.

"Umm….no," said Miley, "but I'm a real fast learner."

"Well you learn to roller-skate," said Jake, "and I'll get the green light for the project. Half the directors in Hollywood would be begging to be involved if they hear that you'll be one of the stars."

"I'll bet," said Miley.

Jake then gave Miley a reassuring smile, "everything's going to be alright. They'll catch this maniac before he ever gets close to you."

"I hope so," said Miley.

"And if he does try anything," said Jake, "he'll have to go through me first."

"You'd risk your life for me?" Miley asked, "after all the pain we've given each other?"

"I'd take a bullet for you," said Jake, "especially if it was fired by a maniacal stalker."

"Oh, Jake," said Miley in an adoring tone as she threw her arms around him and he hugged her back.

"That's as far as it'll go, young man," said Robbie Ray as she, Lilly, Oliver and Roxy came from around the corner, "how about some personal space there?"

"He was just hugging me, daddy," said an annoyed Miley, "what, I can't hug my friends anymore?"

"Not this friend," said Robbie Ray.

"It's alright, Miley," said Jake as he let go of her and stood back a few paces, "if your father doesn't want me around, I understand."

"But…" said Miley, but then she saw the look Jake was giving her, one that promised to resume their 'conversation' later.

"So," said Jake, "I'll be going now. The only time you'll see me again is at the party later. I'll make an appearance, saw a few words to the top 32, and I'll leave, that's it." With that he walked away.

"Chump," said both Roxy and Lilly.

"I don't care how big an action star he thinks he is," said Rebecca, "I don't care how much my daughter wants to date him. If he tries anything, he'll answer to me."

"You deserve so much better than that guy, Miley," said Oliver.

"I'll bet you're really upset with me, bud," said Robbie Ray.

"Huh? Oh!" said a distracted Miley, "yeah, I am upset. In fact, I'm so upset, I'm going to forget about this little run in with Jake. It'll be like it never happened. And when I see him at the party tonight, I'll just say hello, and that'll be it."

"That's my girl," said Robbie Ray. With that they all headed to the private suit, but Miley already had plans to see Jake later when they were sure to have some time to be alone. But that was for later. Now it was time for her to get into character.

* * *

Sora and the others arrived at the hotel where the party was at. They left the limo and entered the lobby, where a sign pointed to the ballroom.

"Well, here we are," said Sora as he, Kairi, Riku and Nodoka entered the ballroom. Already there were nearly two dozen other young fighters, as well as several adults who were clearly the members of the Heartstone Foundation, and a few celebrities who were also invited.

"I'll say it right now so we don't get embarrassed later," said Kairi, "I have no idea what to do at a party like this."

"Me neither," said Sora.

"Just act natural," said Riku.

"How would you know?" Sora asked.

"You'd be surprised what I was doing while you, Donald and Goofy were asleep for a year," said Riku.

Just then Sora heard someone call his name. He saw Julia Eckhart, wearing an orange and black halter dress, as well as Jean-Louise D'Arch, wearing a blue and white backless dress, and Kyle O'Harra, wearing a black tuxedo.

"You guys made it!" said Sora as he, Riku and Kairi walked over to meet them.

"Looks like you blokes did the same," said Julia.

"_Où est Aiden?_" Jean-Louise asked, "I hoped you four would make it to the top 32 together."

"He was eliminated from the tournament," said Riku, "a ring-out in his last match of the prelims."

"That sucks," said Kyle, "I was looking forward to meeting you all in the final rounds."

"So was Aiden," said Kairi, "the four of us were planning to make it together to the final 4."

"So you'd all have a chance at winning the tournament," said Jean-Louise, "_un vrai signe d'amitié,_ a true sign of friendship."

"I'm not all that surprised that one of you didn't make it to the top 32," said Kyle, "the last few rounds of the prelims weren't a walk in the park, I'll give them that much credit."

"My last round of the prelims wasn't easy either," said Julia, "I nearly had me arm ripped out by a bloke using Brazilian Jujitsu."

"The one I fought in my last round nearly defeated me with a choke hold," said Jean-Louise, "but I reversed it and left him flat on the matt, _il n'a jamais été une chance_."

"I doubt any boyo who tried to get you in a choke hold would stand a chance either, darlin'," said Kyle, "so who did Aiden lose to? Anyone we know?"

"Some girl from Boston," said Sora.

"She used Eskrima," said Kairi, "Filipino Stick Fighting."

"A girl from Boston who uses Eskrima?" Kyle asked in a thoughtful tone, "oh, that would be 'The Butcher.'"

"'The Butcher?'" a slightly nervous Sora asked.

"That's here over there," said Jean-Louise. She pointed to a girl near the buffet table. She appeared to be about 19 with waist-length brown hair tune up in curls. She had dark brown, almost black eyes. She wore a red and gold single-shoulder dress.

"That's Felicia Valentine," said Jean-Louise, "otherwise known as _Le Boucher de Boston,_ The Butcher of Boston."

"You sound like you know her," said Riku.

"We've crossed paths from time to time," said Jean-Louise, "sometimes as friends, sometimes as enemies,"

"Anyone else here that you know?" Kairi asked.

"A few," said Jean-Louise, "there's some over there whom are well adapt in Karate, and there's a few in Judo, and there's some Kung Fu users as well. That _monsieur élégant_ over there," she pointed to a young man, about 20 years old with short orange hair and hazel eyes, "that's Ian Donovan, _Le Gamin d'Étoile Solitaire, _'The Lone Star Kid,' from Dallas, Texas. He's a master at both Karate and Judo."

"And that bloke over there," said Julia as she pointed to a boy in his late teens with short brown hair and brown eyes behind glasses and wearing a black tuxedo, "that's…"

"Adam Callahan," said Sora, "from Baltimore. He uses Shaolin Kung Fu."

"Well aren't you full of surprises," said an impressed Julia.

"And of course," said an annoyed Kyle, "the Hannah haters are here as well."

Sora, Riku and Kairi then saw the two Kuno siblings over by the buffet table. Tatewaki was wearing a black tuxedo, while his sister Kodatchi was wearing a red dress printed with black roses, while a real black rose was in her hair.

Sora, Riku and Kairi then saw several others that they had heard about from Nodoka's stories…

Sporting a yellow and black bandana that completely clashed with his tuxedo, Ryoga Hibiki had dark eyes and black hair. He had a slightly depressed expression on his face, but Sora and the others knew not to underestimate this boy who was constantly getting lost, and had an overactive imagination to boot.

Ryoga was one of Ranma's most powerful and dangerous rivals and had been since they were boys. But due to Ryoga's unfortunate lack of a sense of direction, he always showed up late for a scheduled fight, all to the annoyance of Ranma and the enragement of Ryoga. This, combined with a near chronic depression that only fuels his rage, made Ryoga a very dangerous and reckless fighter who couldn't care less if anyone or anything got in his way, so long as he got another chance to fight Ranma.

Looking exceptionally cute in a green and white dress, with her long brown hair tied with a white ribbon was Ukyo Kuonji. From what they learned from Nodoka, Sora and his friends knew that Ukyo was a master at the art of okonomiyaki cooking, as well as a top notch martial artist, using various sized metal spatulas as weapons.

Ukyo was Ranma's best friend for a while when they both were little. But then Ranma's good for nothing father swindled Ukyo's father, making off with the family okonomiyaki cart, and leaving a devastated Ukyo. She abandoned her womanhood, focusing on her cooking and fighting abilities. When she met up with Ranma many years later, she eventually forgave him, resuming their friendship, and engagement, at least in her eyes.

Also looking exceptionally cute, in a purple and blue dress, was Shampoo, future matriarch of the Chinese Amazon tribe. A master of Chinese Amazonian Kung Fu, Shampoo was also an expert with bombori war clubs, as well as an exceptionally great cook, especially in the preparation of ramen.

Ranma first encountered Shampoo while in his female form. A misunderstanding in the Amazon village lead to the two of them fighting, which Ranma won, while still in his female form. The law of the Chinese Amazon tribe is clear on the fact that if a warrior of the tribe is defeated by a female outsider, the warrior in question, Shampoo, can only regain her honor by killing the offending outsider, Ranma.

Shampoo followed Ranma back to Tokyo and tried to kill him, while he was a she, several times. Then she met him while he was a guy. He accidentally knocked her unconscious, and when she came too, she proclaimed her love for him. The law of the tribe says that if a male outsider defeats a warrior of the tribe, then the warrior, Shampoo, must marry the offending outsider, Ranma.

Shampoo had tried numerous times, using various devious and arcane schemes, to get Ranma to return her love. Despite repeated rejections, she stuck by her feelings and has always stood by him as a fellow martial artist when the heat was on.

Then there was the male Amazon, Mousse, looking rather handsome in a white dress shirt and black pants, with his long black hair tied back in a ponytail. The only thing that ruined his image was his large, coke bottle glasses. But like Ryoga Hibiki, Mousse of the Chinese Amazons wasn't someone to underestimate. Also an adapt of Chinese Amazonian Kung Fu, Mousse was an expert in Slight of Hand martial arts. The variety of weapons he has hidden up his sleeves and other places was, to say the least, astounding.

Mousse has been hopelessly in love with Shampoo for as long as the two of them known each other. They would have been the perfect match, if she didn't find him so annoying. His chronic nearsightedness has lead Mousse to one unfortunate mishap of mistaken identity after another. A bad habit of forgetting to put his glasses on has led Mousse to mistake various inanimate objects for the object of his affection, and such mishaps alone were enough to make Shampoo dislike him.

When he learned that Shampoo had fallen for Ranma, Mousse swore to kill the pig-tailed martial artist and win Shampoo's heart. His hot-headed passion for his love has made Mousse one of Ranma more dangerous rivals, but also a reliable ally when the heat was on.

Sora then saw a girl, about 17, with short blue hair and brown eyes, wearing a blue and white dress, and had an expression on her face that told of often unrestrained anger. This no doubt was Akane Tendo.

And then Sora finally saw Ranma Saotome in the flesh. Leaning against the wall, wearing a black tux, and looking as if he wished he were somewhere else, Nodoka's son had an aura about him of mixed emotions. He was happy to have made it to the top 32, but was unhappy that those who had made his life miserable had made it as well.

But then Sora sensed something about Ranma, something attuned to magic of sorts.

_:It must be the curse,: _said Kairi, for she and Riku also sensed the magic resonating from Ranma.

_:I'll bet it is,: _said Sora.

_:Ranma isn't the only one putting out vibes like that,: _said Roxas.

_:The others from Nermia,: _said Naminé, _:they're resonating as well.:_

Confused, Sora focused his senses on the others from Nermia. Sure enough, similar magical resonations were coming from Ryoga Hibiki and the two Chinese Amazons, Shampoo and Mousse.

"Can they be cursed as well?" Kairi asked out loud.

"It's a distinct possibility," said Riku.

"Oh they're cursed alright," said Nodoka, "Shampoo fell into the 'Spring of Drowned Cat,' after she learned the truth about Ranma's curse. Cold water turns her into a lavender-furred cat. Mousse also experienced the magic of Jusenkyo. He fell into the 'Spring of Drowned Duck.' you can guess what cold water does to him."

"What about Ryoga Hibiki?" Riku asked, "what spring did he fall into?"

"That's something that will have to wait," said Nodoka, "I believe I see the others chaperones."

Making their way from one end of the buffet table was Soun Tendo, (shoulder length black hair and black moustache) and Genma Saotome (bald head covered by white handkerchief and wearing glasses).

"I do believe I'll go say hello to my husband," said Nodoka, "and introduce you three to my son and his friends."

"We're ready when you are, Sensei," said Kairi, while Sora and Riku nodded in agreement.

They walked over, where the sight of Nodoka startled Genma Saotome enough that he nearly dropped his plate full of food.

"Uh…Nodoka!" said a very nervous Genma, "I…um…that is…"

"Oh relax, Genma," said Nodoka as she smiled disarmingly, "I'm not here to cut your head off."

"You really should learn not to be so jumpy around your wife, Saotome," said Soun Tendo as he sampled one dish after another, "it's embarrassing."

"Well you would know embarrassing, Tendo," said an annoyed Genma.

"Auntie Nodoka!" said Akane Tendo happily as she walked over.

"You look lovely, Akane," said Nodoka, "congratulations on making it to the finals."

"I was tough," said Akane, "but I pulled through." she then saw Sora, Riku and Kairi, "oh, are these your students?"

"They are indeed," said Nodoka. Sora, Riku and Kairi introduced themselves, doing a very good job to conceal their dislike for the girl who was responsible for so much misery in the life of their Sensei's son.

They then saw Mousse and Shampoo walk over, as well as Ryoga Hibiki.

"So you are the students of Mrs. Saotome," said Ryoga Hibiki, "well, if you're as good as everyone says you are, then we're all in for one heck of a tournament."

"And if you're as strong as I've heard you are," said Riku, "then we're both in for a world of hurt."

"Why's that?" Ryoga asked.

"Because if we end up facing each other in the tournament," said Riku in a menacing tone, "I'm going to do my best to beat the crap out of you, while you're going to do the same."

At that Ryoga was taken aback slightly, while Akane had an annoyed look on her face, "why'd you say that? What did Ryoga ever do to you?"

"Nothing personally," said Riku, "but I've heard about his reputation of reckless destruction and endangerment of other people when he fights."

"Lost boy Ryoga is reckless," said Shampoo, "he no care who or what get in his way."

"I'll agree with you on that," Kairi in a slightly annoyed tone, "but on other matters we won't be agreeing."

"What be those?" Shampoo asked in a suspicious tone.

"For starters," said Kairi, "from what I've heard, you're hopelessly in love with a boy who does not love you back. Now, I've heard a lot of good things about the Chinese Amazons, and I respect your culture and traditions, but from what I've heard, you've carried tradition a bit to far."

"Just what is red-head girl implying?" Shampoo demanded.

"As my Sensei is fond of saying," said Kairi, "there are some things that transcend honor, such as matters of the heart. And if you have to ask what that means, then you don't deserve to know in the first place."

At that Shampoo blushed slightly, but then Mousse stepped forward, an irate expression on his face, "you can't talk to Shampoo like that! We've just met and already you're insulting her. I won't stand for it!"

"I'm over here," said a slightly annoyed Kairi, for Mousse had gotten into the face of Sora.

"Nice to meet you," said Sora.

Mousse straightened his glassed and then realized his mistake, "my apologies."

"I'm not offended," said Sora, "but I think you need to get your prescription updated."

"I've heard that laser surgery does wonders," said Kairi. She, Riku and Sora were irritated by what they heard about the number of times Mousse tried to kill Ranma, all for the love of a girl who didn't love him back, but they also felt sorry for someone who was blinded by that love, not just by weak eyes.

They also felt sorry for Ryoga in a way. Here was a boy who had suffered greatly, by his own fault and by outside forces as well. "Okay, we got off on the wrong foot," said Riku, "let me just give you one piece of advice; GPS device. Trust me on this, it'll change your life."

"And if you'll listen to a bit of advice," said Kairi to Shampoo, "you'll find that if would let go of traditions and honor, just a little bit, you'll find the world is that much more brighter." She did feel sorry for Shampoo, a girl so devotionally loyal to tradition that she couldn't see any other possibilities.

The only one Sora, Riku and Kairi didn't feel sorry for was Akane Tendo, but their reasoning would have to wait, for out of nowhere came Tatewaki Kuno, who abruptly threw his arms around Kairi, putting his hands on certain places on a girl that a boy has no business touching without permission.

"Pigtailed Girl!" exclaimed the male Kuno sibling as he joyfully embraced Kairi, "I knew thou would be here at this joyous festivity!"

"Uh…!" said a startled Sora.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" exclaimed Kairi as she struggled against Tatewaki's mad embrace, "I mean it! Let me go, you moron!"

Ranma then ran over and pulled Tatewaki off of Kairi, then delivered a bone shattering kick to the head, leaving the male Kuno dazed, but somehow unharmed.

"You really are an idiot, Kuno," said Ranma. He then looked at Kairi, "you okay? Did he hurt you at all?"

"I'm more pissed than hurt," said an enraged Kairi.

"You sure?" a slightly frantic Sora asked. But then Tatewaki pushed him out of the way to glare at Ranma.

"Ranma Saotome," said Tatewaki in an outraged tone, "once again, though hath come between me and the Pigtailed Girl, my one true love."

"I thought your one true love was Akane," said a grinning Mousse.

"They are my one true loves!" said Tatewaki.

Kairi then delivered a pride obliterating slap to his face, "don't you ever touch me again, or I'll castrate you! I'll double castrate you! And for your information, I've never worn my hair in a pigtail and never will, thank you very much!"

"She'll do it!" said Sora in an irate tone, "she'll rip your wedding tackle off if she's angry enough, and I'll help her do it!"

"You can count on my assistance as well," said Kodatchi Kuno, "my moron of a brother would deserve it!" she then laughed cruelly.

"And you deserve to be locked away, my psychotic sibling," said Tatewaki.

"I'm with you on that, Kuno," said Ranma.

"Ranma, you cad!" exclaimed Kodatchi as he eyes filled with crocodile tears, "how dare you side with my brother!"

"How dare you make my sister cry, Saotome!" exclaimed Tatewaki.

"Idiot kendo boy no shout at Ranma!" snapped Shampoo, "you pay for that!"

"Go ahead and shout at him," said Mousse.

"You shut up!" said Shampoo.

"Why don't you all shut up!" snapped Ukyo Kuonji as she walked over, "and think for a second, will you? You might just remember that we all have a truce."

"What truce?" Riku asked.

"Oh, now I remember," said Mousse, "when we all learned that the eight of us made it to the top 32, we promised to keep all hostilities to the actual fighting and not let our problems spill outside it until the tournament was over."

"And here I thought you wanted to fight tonight," said Ryoga.

"You're one to talk," said Mousse, "tell me, how long did it take you to get from Tokyo to L.A.? Shampoo and I got here in just under a day, with a short layover in Hawaii."

"Let me guess," said Ranma, "he got lost again, right?"

"I took a wrong turn at the airport," said an irate Ryoga, "I actually made it there in time for my flight, but I got on the wrong plane. Instead of going to Hawaii, I wound up in Cambodia. I had to run across South East Asia, The Middle East, North Africa, and instead of taking a boat to New York from Morocco, I would up going across the Gibraltar Straight and into Spain." he sighed, "I won't go into how much of a nightmare I had trying to get out of Europe."

"Well at least you made it, P-Chan," said Ranma.

"P-Chan?" a surprised Akane asked, "is he here?" She looked around the room in search of someone who was very important to her.

"Uh, no…no he's not here, Akane," said a heavily sweating Ryoga.

"I was just making a joke, Akane," said Ranma.

"Well it's not funny!" snapped Akane as she glared daggers at Ranma, "for all I know, P-Chan is here, all alone," she then walked away, "P-Chan! Are you here?"

"Kitchen-destroyer girl Akane is dumb as ox," said Shampoo.

"Don't you insult Akane!" snapped both Tatewaki and Ryoga.

"Don't you yell at Shampoo!" snapped Mousse.

"I am not yelling!" exclaimed Ryoga.

"All of a sudden I'm feeling very confused," said Sora.

"You're not alone," said Kairi, while Riku nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps I can explain," said an elderly female voice. Sora, Riku and Kairi looked around but didn't see anybody.

"Down here, young ones," said the voice. Sora and the others looked down to see a very small, elderly woman wearing green and red robes. She had long white hair and large eyes. She carried a 4ft tall wooden staff that was larger on the top than the point

"My great-granddaughter and her friends have a very complicated relationship," said the woman, "especially with my future Son-In-Law."

"We've guessed that Ranma is at the center of a complex web," said Riku, "you must be Cologne, matriarch of the Chinese Amazons."

"I am," said the short, elderly woman, Cologne, "and you three must be Nodoka's students. My great-granddaughter, Shampoo, and her future husband have their work cut out for them if they are to defeat you in this tournament."

"With all due respect, honored elder," said Kairi, "but why are you so adamant on Ranma marrying Shampoo? I told your great-granddaughter that I have the utmost respect for your people's culture and traditions, but anyone with half a brain can see that Ranma doesn't love Shampoo, and anyone with half a brain would know that a loveless marriage will only end in tears."

"I can tell that you are wise beyond your years, young lady," said Cologne, "and that you have an exceptionally pure heart, and that gives you a great understanding of the heart itself. But that is besides the point. Ranma and Shampoo must marry."

"Over my dead body, you dried up old monkey!" shouted Mousse.

Cologne responded by bashing Mousse in the head with her staff, "who's dried up?"

"Great-grandmother is sharp as always," said a smiling Shampoo.

"Thank you, dear," said Cologne.

"She may be skilled," said Ukyo, "but she's wrong. Ranma is my fiancé! I knew him long before everyone else!"

Kodatchi then laughed in her usual maniacal tone, "all those years bent over a hot grill has warped your brain! I shall wed my darling Ranma!"

"He's mine!" snapped Ukyo, "aren't you, Ranma Honey?"

"Ranma belong to Shampoo!" snapped the purple-haired Amazon. The three girls then glared at each other, as if waiting for one to blink and create an attack opening.

"You're all wrong!" exclaimed Genma as he and Soun shoved their way past Shampoo, Kodatchi and Ukyo, "Ranma has been spoke for since the day he was born!"

"Saotome and I agreed that Ranma would wed one of my daughters," said Soun, "and it has been agreed that he would wed Akane, and together they would carry on the legacy of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!"

"I'd rather die than marry that pervert, Ranma!" snapped Akane.

"That can be arranged!" said Kodatchi as she, Ukyo and Shampoo glared at Akane, and she glared back.

"Shampoo happy to put Akane in grave."

"To hell with the truce," said an irate Ukyo, "let's settle this right now, tournament or no tournament!"

"Fine with me," said Akane, "last girl standing get's Ranma."

"I though you didn't want him," said Kairi.

"Why don't you mind your own business!" snapped Akane.

"Don't you talk to her like that!" said Sora.

"Don't you talk to Akane like that!" snapped Ryoga.

"Don't you yell at my friend!" snapped Riku.

Two groups were formed, with Sora, Riku and Kairi on one side, while Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodatchi, Ryoga and Mousse glared at them from a semicircle, while Tatewaki, Cologne, Soun, Genma, and a worried Nodoka, watched from the side. From a different side of the group stood Ranma, looking as if he wanted to shout out 'why don't you all just butt out of my freaking life already!' but he couldn't talk for some reason.

Also watching the tense scene was Kyle, Julia and Jean-Louise, while Adam Callahan, Felicia Valentine and Ian Donovan joined them.

"The suspense is terrific," said Julia between bites of shrimp cocktail, "I hope it lasts."

"And I thought American soap operas were gripping," said Jean-Louise.

"Who do you think will win?" Ian Donovan asked in a deep Texan drawl.

"Whoever's left standing, I guess," said Felicia Valentine in a medium New England accent.

"This is wrong," said Adam Callahan in a serious tone, "this tournament is all about international friendship, where differences are settled in a safe and controlled manner, not in some reckless brawl."

"If you're so eager to stop this fight before it starts, boyo," said Kyle, "you stop it. That's what you Shaolin types are good at, avoiding fights."

"Some fights can't be avoided," said Adam.

Just then a gong rang out, grabbing everyone's attention, "but sometimes," said Adam, "outside forces intervene."

On a platform at the far end of the room were several people in their mid to late 20's, clearly the ones in charge of the event.

"If I may have everyone's attention," said a woman with long brown hair tied back by an indigo ribbon, wearing a white satin gown, "if everyone would gather around, we can begin the official part of this party."

Forgetting the impending brawl, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, Ryoga, Ukyo, the Kuno siblings and Ranma, as well as all the other fighters and their chaperones, gathered at the platform.

"Thank you," said the woman in white, "now, as one of the founding members and chairperson of the Heartstone Foundation, I, Violet Baudelaire, wish to thank you young martial artists for coming to this little get together, and to congratulate you all on making it to the top 32." The others on the platform clapped, and soon everyone else was applauding.

"We at the Heartstone Foundation set up the Tournament of Light so that young martial artists from around the world could gather together in friendship and healthy competition," said Violet Baudelaire, "and to have fun while beating the crap out of each other."

"But that doesn't mean that anyone will go home hurt," said a man in his late 20's with short brown hair and brown eyes, "those healing devices you've most likely used in the preliminaries, the Integratrons, are of my own invention, if you haven't guessed who I am already; Dr. Aaron Spartan, physician, surgeon and overall medicinal scientist."

"And these are the other members of the Foundation," said Violet Baudelaire, "all of them people who wish to make the world better through science and human cooperation," she indicated a woman in her mid 20's with short dark blond hair and gray eyes and wearing a green gown, "Elaine Roberts," a man in his early 20's with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes, "Shawn Oberstein," a man with dark brown hair and blue eyes, "Quincy Fairchild," and a man in his late 20's with black hair and brown eyes, "and Tyler Hanscomb."

"We're all happy that you've made it this far," said Shawn Oberstein, "and hope that you will give your all in the final rounds, knowing that each of you will go home a winner. As we speak, a check for each of you in the sum of $10,000 is being written, all that is needed is your endorsement."

"This money is yours," said Elaine Roberts, "and for those who advance to the next level of the tournament will receive another check, and another check for each round you advance through. I can promise you all that win or lose, you will all go home happy."

"But the tournament can have only one champion," said Tyler Hanscomb, "only once can claim the complete $100,000 prize, and this," several staff members of the hotel then wheeled in a cart that had a large object hidden underneath a white cloth.

"This simple object will go to the young man or woman who proves him or herself the best in the world," said Shawn Oberstein as he walked down to the cart and grabbed the cloth, "behold!" he removed the cloth, revealing a large gold trophy inlaid with silver, platinum, and set with diamonds and other precious gems, "the grand trophy of The Tournament of Light!"

The 32 fighters then all made amazed sounds, each of them imagining themselves holding up the trophy in victory at the end of the tournament.

"But a trophy is useless without a winner," said Violet Baudelaire as the hotel staff wheeled the trophy out of the room, "and here we have 32 potential winners, each of which has proven him or herself a great fighter. You should all feel proud that you, out of the entire world, has made it this far."

"And now we shall set the stage for those who will go further," said Elaine Roberts. Another member of the hotel staff then brought in a hologram projector and handed it to Elaine, "we have randomly selected the placing for the first round of the finals, so as to give everyone a fair chance, and here are the placing.

She activated the projector, showing the names of the 32 fighters, grouped into 16 sets of two, in the order in which their matches will be held.

"We don't have to fight Ranma right away," said Riku as he and Sora looked to see where they were in the order of the first round.

"The first round will take place at 9:00 a.m. the day after tomorrow," said Shawn Oberstein, "so will have all day tomorrow to prepare."

"But that is for tomorrow," said Tyler Hanscomb, "tonight is a night for enjoyment. Which brings us to the 'real' reason why we are here."

"First of all," said Elaine Roberts, "we'd like you all to meet the commentator's who will be covering the tournament. Let's have a round of applause for teen sportscasters Hank Riaz and Lisa Evans!"

The assembled fighters clapped as two people in their late teens, a boy with medium skin and dark hair, wearing a blue chat and tie, and a girl with short blond hair and gray eyes wearing a red and white dress, walked onto the platform.

"We're glad to be here for this incredible event," said the boy, Hank Riaz, "and we'll be sure to give the full scoop to everyone watching all over the world."

"This tournament will be unlike anything ever seen before," said Lisa Evans, "but we'll do our best to give full credit where credit is due."

The fighters clapped again.

"And now it's time to officially introduce you all to the celebrity guest commentator," said Violate Baudelaire, "someone who has become renowned throughout the world for her music and goodness of heart."

"I can't believe it," said an excited and nervous Riku, while all the other girls in the room, and a handful of boys, were also shaking with anticipation, "we're finally going to meet Hannah!"

"I know!" said a widely smiling Julia, "this is going to be awesome!"

"What do I say to her?" a nearly frantic Ukyo asked, "she's the biggest thing in pop music! What can I possibly say to her!"

"_Juste acte naturel,_" said Jean-Louise, even though her hands were twitching in anticipation.

"Easy for you to say," said Riku.

"It is now my honor, privilege and pleasure," said Violet Baudelaire, "to introduce to you, the one and only, Hannah Montana!"

The room soon filled with applause and cries of adoration from the young fighters as Hannah, flanked by her two companions Lola Luftnagle and Mike Stanley III. Behind her was her manager Robbie Ray, and her bodyguards Roxy and Rebecca.

"Thanks, Violet," said Hannah as she walked up onto the platform and looked out onto the 32 fighters, "wow! It's sure great to be here tonight! I can't tell ya'll how much I'm looking forward to the final rounds. I'm sure it'll be one darn good show.

"But the important thing isn't winning itself; it's how you win. And that's done by doing your best and having fun while doing it, and I'll be there to tell the world how you're all doing, so let's all do our best and give the world something they'll remember."

At that everyone applauded.

"But the truth is that everyone is a winner," said Hannah, "even if you get knocked out ten seconds into the fight, if you get thrown out of the ring, or even if the match is ruled against you because the other guy fought better, it's still okay. Even if you lose, you're still a winner if you believe in yourself and try your best. And if you lose, it's no big deal, there's always another tournament. But right now let's make this tournament the best the world has ever seen!"

At that everyone applauded and cheered.

"Blimey, she's cute!" said a starry-eyed Kyle.

"And she has a voice of an angel," said an adoring Ukyo.

But then, as if on impulse, Riku shouted, "sing for us, Hannah, please!"

"Yeah!" said Julia, "please, Hannah, sing for us."

"Oh, I can't," said Hannah in a modest tone, "It wouldn't be right. This is your party after all."

"Please!" said Ukyo, "it would make the party that much better.

She and Riku then began chanting Hannah's name, and soon nearly everyone, including the members of the Heartstone foundation, were chanting as well.

"There's no arguin' with this, darlin'," said Robbie Ray to Miley as he pulled out a boom box and a karaoke CD full of Hannah's songs, "sometimes you just have to give them what they want."

"You're right about that, daddy," said Miley. She then got back into Hannah mode and spoke to the fighters, "oh, I can never deny my fans."

Everyone cheered her on as the put the CD on, "you know, all that chanting and cheering, it's got me thinking, that one thing a martial artist has to have, is 'nerve.'"

The music started up and Hannah sang one of her earlier hits, 'I got Nerve.' She then sang two more hits, 'Life's What You Make of It,' and 'Rockstar,' finishing up with one of her more recent hits, 'Supergirl.'

The performance ended with thunderous applause from the 32 fighters, their chaperones and the members of the Heartstone Foundation.

"Thanks a million," said Hannah as the clapping subsided, "you're a terrific audience," she then grinned knowingly, "and if I know my fans," she took a pen that Robbie Ray handed to her, "I think some of you are in the mood for some autographs."

"Oh no," said a nervous Riku, "I don't have anything to write on!"

"You could use your face," said Ryoga as he got a piece of paper from his pocket, while Ukyo and Kodatchi took out some paper from their purses, "but then you could never take a shower again."

"Here," said Mousse as he pulled out a piece of paper from up his sleeves and handed it to Riku, then handed some paper to Shampoo, "don't ever say I never did anything for you."

"Shampoo have her own paper," said the purple-haired Amazon as she swatted the paper Mousse handed her away, then got some from her purse.

Riku ripped his piece of paper in half and then got in line to get Hannah's autograph. He was 12th in line when he got there and eventually reached the front .

"I have been a fan of yours for years, Ms. Montana," said an ecstatic Riku, "I have all your albums on CD and on my IPod."

"That's so sweet of you," said a smiling Hannah, "so, what's your name?" in truth, Miley recognized Riku the moment she stepped into the room, and she also saw Sora and Kairi. But for the moment, they didn't recognize her.

Riku told Hannah his name and she wrote… "'to Riku, best of luck in the tournament, and stay true to your heart, Hannah.'"

"And could you make one out to my friend?" Riku asked, "he's a new fan, but he loves your music. He was disqualified from the tournament and was really looking forward to meeting you."

"I'd be happy to sign one for your friend," said Hannah, "what's his name?"

Riku gave Aiden's name and Hannah wrote… "'To Aiden, sorry you couldn't make it to the party, it would have been great to meet you. Keep your spirits high and your ears open, Hannah.'"

"Thank you so much," said Riku as he carefully pocketed the autographs, "it's been an incredible honor meeting you, Ms. Montana."

"It's been great meeting you to," said Hannah, "and please, call me Hannah."

"Okay, Hannah," said a nearly jumping for joy Riku.

"Our Riku is on cloud nine," said Kairi.

"You want to get Hannah's autograph before it's too late?" Sora asked. He had a piece of paper in his pocket

"Only if you'll go with me," said Kairi as she pulled a piece of paper out of her purse. They then got in the back of the lone, but there wasn't that many people ahead of them anyway.

Just then someone caught Kairi's eye, "hey, Sora? Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that Jake Ryan over there?"

"That is Jake Ryan," said Sora, "I wonder if he knows Hannah?"

"He should know her," said Julia, who happened to be in front of them, "Hannah was a guest star on his show once."

"Wouldn't it be great if they made moves together?" Kyle asked.

"Like a modern day 'Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire,'" said Jean-Louise, "_une équipe faite dans le ciel_, a team made in heaven. Alas, they'd only be together on a professional level. The heart of Jake Ryan belongs to someone else."

"That's right," said Julia, a look of remembrance on her face, "last year, Jake did admit, on live television, that he was in love with a girl named Miley Stewart."

"You're kidding!" said a shocked Kairi.

"I am not," said Julia, "it was in all the entertainment news. Just where have you been?"

"You'd be surprised," said Kairi in a deflated tone.

"Try me," said Julia.

Just then Sora heard several of the female fighters in the room scream in terror. He, Kairi and Riku whirled around, expecting to see Heartless, but instead saw a very short, very old and very spry man, wearing a purple martial arts outfit, running around the room lifting the skirts of the girls. The old man looked to be having the time of his life

"Hey, don't be shy!" said the old man as he peaked up one girl's skirt, "I'm a nice guy! Come on! Let's have some fun!"

"Oh you have got to be freaking kidding me!" exclaimed Ukyo.

"I was wondering when he'd show up," muttered an irate but depressed Ranma.

"Who let that monster in?" exclaimed Ryoga.

"Who would give him an invitation?" exclaimed Mousse.

Even though he, Riku and Kairi had never seen the old man before, Sora knew that the old man was Happosai, founder of the Anything Goes style of marital arts. They also knew that Happosai was notorious for his perverted behavior; stealing women's underwear, as a peeping tom, for physically molesting young women, and being an overall selfish brat who redirects trouble aimed at him onto innocent lives, mostly Ranma and those around him.

Happosai then saw Kairi, "oh, I always liked red-heads!" he leapt towards a disgusted Kairi, "give me a kiss, sweety!"

Outraged, Sora cast an Aero spell on Kairi, forming a barrier of wind around her that Happosai bounced off.

"Huh?" the old pervert asked, "what the heck is this thing?" he tried to get to Kairi again, but he kept bouncing off of her.

"Nice try, old man," said Ranma.

"You would say that, Ranma," said Happosai in a mischievous tone. He then grabbed a nearby punch bowl and threw it at Ranma, drenching him in cold punch. Before Sora's eyes, Ranma changed into a slightly shorter, red-headed girl with a very sensual figure that was partially obscured by the black tuxedo.

"You old bastard!" shouted Ranma-chan. But then she exclaimed in disgust as Happosai latched onto her midsection and nuzzled his head between her bosom, causing Ranma-chan to scream in disgust.

"Foul demon!" exclaimed Tatewaki as he ripped Happosai away from Ranma-chan, "thou shall lay not a finger on the divine Pigtailed Girl," he then dropkicked Happosai across the room, but the old man recovered in mid air and landed neatly on his tiny feet.

Tatewaki then swept Ranma-chan into his arms, "the beast has been slain, my beloved Pigtailed Girl! Let us now depart this fiasco of a party and elope!"

Ranma-chan responded by punching Tatewai in the head, sending the moronic swordsman across the room, "dream on, creep!" she snapped. She then went in search of some hot water.

"_Mon Dieu!_"said a shocked yet intrigued Jean-Louise, "so the rumors are true; Ranma Saotome, _il est juré!_"

"He's cursed and a half, don't 'cha know!" said Kyle.

"Interesting," said Julia Eckhart, "very interesting."

At that time Sora noticed that Genma and Soun were cowering in one corner of the room. He then remembered from Nodoka's stories that the two fathers trained under Happosai, and they wished with every fiber in their beings that they hadn't. But that was a thought for later.

Happosai kept jumping from one girl to another, always trying to molest her, yet always deterred in one way or another.

"Hey there, cutie pie!" said Happosai as he happily skipped towards Felicia Valentine, "how about you and me practice some mouth to mouth?"

"I'd rather kiss a freaking Roger Corman monster!" snapped Felicia Valentine as she kicked Happosai away.

"Ooh, I like this one," said Kodatchi, "she has style."

"Perhaps," said Tatewaki as he recovered from Ranma-chan's punch, "perhaps the fair maiden from Boston doth have potential after all."

"Keep dreaming, airhead," said an annoyed Felicia Valentine.

"Don't try anything' with her," said Ian Donovan to Tatewaki, "if she likes you, she'll let you know, but if she doesn't, then you're better off stayin' away from her. Believe me, I should know."

"How would you know?" Ryoga asked.

"Let's just say me an' Felicia had a bad run in a while back," said Ian Donovan.

Happosai then set his eyes on both Julia and Jean-Louise, "I've always liked a little foreign spice now and then. So, how about it, ladies? Wanna try this guy on for size?"

"_Je collerais ma tête en haut l'âne d'un rhinocéros ayant ses règles!" _spat Jean-Louise, _"vous baisant grenouille le fils d'une prostituée!"_

"Touch me and I'll rip your head off and shove it back on backwards!" snapped Julia.

"What's she say?" Ryoga asked Ukyo, indicating Jean-Louise.

"My French is a little rusty," said Ukyo, "But I think she implied she's rather stick her head up the butt of a female rhino during her time of the month. Then she called Happosai a frog-humping SOB."

"Sorry I asked," said a disturbed Ryoga.

Just then Happosai, who had latched onto female Ranma again, saw someone that completely grabbed his attention. "Hannah Montana!" he jumped away from female Ranma and hopped across the room, landing five feet from Hannah. He looked up at her with adoring eyes, "you may not believe this, but I'm your biggest fan."

"Oh boy," muttered Hannah in annoyed tone, "another Sweet Nibblet."

"What is it that gets short people so hung up about you?" Mike asked.

"She's the biggest thing in pop music," said Lola, "opposites attract."

"It'd really brighten this old man's day if I could have your autograph," said Happosai as he pulled out a pen and a piece of paper.

"Well," said Hannah in a slightly uncomfortable tone, "aren't you abrupt. But, I never disappoint my fans."

Sora, Riku and Sora could tell that Happosai was coiled to strike and latch onto Hannah at any second.

_:That horrible little old man!: _exclaimed Kairi, :_If he touches Hannah, I'll kill him!:_

_:Save a piece for me!: _said Sora.

_:Make sure you stomp his guts extra hard!: _said Roxas

"I'll rip his head off!" said Riku. The three of them were about to rush Happosai, but someone else beat them to the punch.

"NO!" from across the room, Kodatchi Kuno literary flew over, got in front of Hannah and kicked Happosai away, "you horrible little Svengali! You won't lay a single finger on Hannah Montana!"

"I shall slay thee, filthy beast!" shouted Tatewaki Kuno as he stood next to his sister, while gesturing with his hands to Hannah to step back, which she did, "thou shall not come within ten paces of the fair Hannah!"

"I thought you blokes didn't like Hannah Montana," said Julia Eckhart, "you were willing to believe them tabloids earlier."

"That was then," said Tatewaki Kuno, "my sister and I hath seen the light, and learn not to trust those scandal rags."

"Besides," said Kodatchi, "this is personal." she aimed an accusing finger at Happosai, "this perverted dwarf has made our lives miserable for so long, and now he wishes to molest an innocent angel of music."

"We've suffered the torments Happosai inflicted on all of our home town," said Ukyo as she, Ryoga Hibiki, Shampoo and Mousse, got in front of Hannah, "we've suffered so much, but enough's enough!"

"No way we're letting the pervert get his hands on Hannah!" exclaimed Mousse as he straightened his glasses.

"Shampoo kill Happosai before he hurts Hannah Montana!" exclaimed the purple-haired Amazon.

"He's gone too far tonight!" said Ryoga Hibiki, "molesting young women in Tokyo is bad enough, but now he wants to harass Hannah Montana? Over my dead body!"

"Count us in as well!" shouted Kyle O'Harra as he, Julia Eckhart and Jean-Louise D'arch got in front of Hannah as well.

"This disgusting little man crossed the line when he decided to come here and molest Hannah Montana!" exclaimed Ian Donovan as he and Felicia Valentine got in front of Hannah.

"The little freaking bastard's got another thing coming if he thinks he can get away with this!" said Felicia Valentine.

"Normally I would try to settle a conflict like this with words," said Adam Callahan, "but it's clear that this perverted monster cannot be swayed with words." he got in front of Hannah and glared at the perverted old man, " I know what you are, Happosai; you are a disgrace to all of martial arts, and it is our duty as true martial artists to stop you from further shaming the arts, and from bringing shame to an innocent girl with your perverted ways."

"We'll help too!" shouted Sora as he, Riku and Kairi got in front of Hannah.

"I'll rip the pervert's head off!" Riku shouted again.

"After I rip his little arms and legs off and shove them where the sun don't shine!" shouted Kairi.

"So," said Happosai in an menacing tone, "all you little punks want to gang up on poor little old me?"

"Don't let him try to psyche you out with the 'innocent old man' routine!" shouted Ryoga Hibiki to everyone, "you'll suffer for it later!"

"He's a lot faster and stronger than he looks!" said Ukyo, "Ranma would know."

Ranma, who by then had found some hot water and reverted back to a guy, was about to go over to defend Hannah, but was stopped by the sight of an angry Akane.

"Akane," said Ranma in an uncertain tone, "I…"

"Oh just go already!" snapped Akane, "go play with your slut fiancées and pervert friends! Go save the diva! See what I care!" she then walked away from Ranma with her nose in the air, heading straight for a table full of snacks.

"Akane," said Ranma in a distant tone.

"Ranma no good to us like this," said Shampoo, "And kitchen-destroyer Akane no good either."

"Then I'll be just us then," said Sora as he and the others took up fighting stances.

"You punks think you can stop me from being with Hannah Montana?" Happosai asked.

"I think between the fifteen of us," said Kyle O'Harra as he cracked his knuckles, "I think we can put you in your grave, old boy."

"And not a moment too soon," said Tatewaki Kuno.

"Aren't you kids forgetting something?" Roxy asked as she got to the front of the group, "I'm the professional bodyguard here. If this little old man wants to get his grubby paws on my girl Hannah, he's got to go through me first." She then pulled out a can of mace.

"And me!" said Rebecca as she pulled out a stun gun and activated it, threatening Happosai with a large electrical jolt, "I may be new, but I'm experienced enough. So give it your best shot, old man! You won't get past us!"

"Okay!" said Happosai happily. He took out a long stemmed pipe flicked it at Roxy, hitting her with the bowl of the pipe with enough force to send her flying halfway across the room.

"Roxy!" exclaimed Hannah as she helplessly watched her beloved bodyguard crash into the floor.

"Is she alright?" Lola asked.

"Would you be alright after that?" Mike asked.

"Don't worry about me, Hannah," said a dazed but otherwise unharmed Roxy, "I've got my eyes on you!"

"Bastard!" spat Rebecca as she lunged at Happosai, but again he deflected her attack, forcing her to drop the stun gun with the bowl of his pipe, then sent her flying and crashing across the room.

"And now for you whippersnappers!" said Happosai as he faced down Sora, Riku, Kairi, Adam, Julia, Ian, Jean-Louise, Kyle, Felicia, Ukyo, Ryoga, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Shampoo and Mousse.

"Get ready!" said Ryoga, "and be careful. The old bastard's full of dirty tricks!"

"Well we've got some surprises of our own!" said Julia.

"We'll show this freaking pervert a thing or two!" said Felicia.

"Just try and get past us, old man!" exclaimed Kyle.

"Okay!" said Happosai happily. Before anyone could react, he jumped over our heroes and allies and nimbly landed in front of Hannah, "now, my dearest Hannah, where were we?"

"Oh you son of a…!" exclaimed Ian. Everyone turned around and was about to attack Happosai.

"I don't think so!" exclaimed Happosai as he pulled out a large firecracker about half the size of a basket ball. He held his pipe to the wick, threatening to light it, "one more step, and you'll all get a taste of my Happo Fire Burst!"

"Careful!" said Mousse as he straightened his glasses again, "that thing may be an oversized cherry bomb, but it can do a lot of damage."

"A lot of innocent people can get hurt!" said Ryoga.

"Well you're one to talk about that," said Ukyo.

Just then, Jake Ryan walked forward, an outraged look on his face, "just what is wrong with you, old man?" he shouted at Happosai as he walked up to the perverted martial artist, "are you crazy? Using a bomb to get everyone to allow you to molest Hannah! What kind of twisted monster are you!"

"He's the worst kind!" said Ukyo, "the kind that gets stronger through sexual harassment."

"And stealing women's underwear so he can fondle it later," said Kodatchi.

"Well he's not going to molest Hannah," said Jake as he stood between Hannah and Happosai, "not while I have anything to say about it!"

"Jake," said Hannah in a tone mixed with concern, fear and devotion.

Happosai then laughed heartily, "oh this is too much! It's almost more than this old heart of mine can take!"

"Wish his heart would just give out already," muttered Mousse.

"What's so funny?" Jake asked.

"You're alright in my book, kid," said Happosai, "I've seen you on TV and in the movies, you've got some serious talent. But you're way out of your league here. You may be a big Hollywood action star, but you'll just ruin that pretty face of yours if you don't mind your business."

"You may have a point," said Jake, "I have studied martial arts, but only enough for the characters I've played. I probably wouldn't last ten seconds against any of the fighters gathered here tonight, and I'd probably last even less if I went up against you.

"But I don't care about that! Hannah's my friend, and I'd be damned if I let her suffer your touch!" He defiantly stood his ground, "even if it costs me my looks, even if it costs me my career, even if it costs me my life, I won't let you touch Hannah!"

"Oh Jake!" said Hannah in an smitten tone, while her eyes sparkled with adoration.

"You want to die so badly, boy!" exclaimed Happosai, "be my guest!"

"Bring it on, monster!" snapped Jake. He then looked up, as if someone had caught his eye, "hey, isn't that Taylor Swift!"

"Where!" exclaimed an eager Happosai as he looked left and right, "she's so cute, where is she?"

"Over there," said Jake as he pointed towards the back of the room, "she's talking with Lady Gaga and Shakira, and isn't that Beyoncé?."

"Oh sweeto!" exclaimed an overjoyed Happosai.

"Now!" shouted Jake. From across the room, Elaine Roberts tossed Jake a large glass jar. With the little old pervert still distracted, Jake scooped Happosai into the jar and screwed on a lid that had several small holes punched in. By the time Happosai realized he'd been tricked, it was too late.

"What the hell!" exclaimed an outraced Happosai as Jake set the jar on the floor, "what is this!" he rapped his fists against the side of the jar, "let me out! You let me out, you rotten little punk!" He punched, kicked and head butted against the glass of the jar, but it wouldn't break or even crack.

"I'd never thought I'd live to see the day when the old man got fooled like this," said Ryoga as he fought a losing battle against a laughing fit.

"He's had the wool pulled over him a lot," said Ukyo as she and the others from Nermia also tried not to laugh, "but not like this."

"Such originality," said Tatewaki, "can only come from such a brilliant actor as the great Jake Ryan."

"I was only following the plan," said Jake in a modest tone, "the one you should all thank is her."

"That jar is made of a new type of shatter-proof glass," said Elaine Roberts, "I originally designed it to be used in outer space for future spacecraft, as well as deep submersible vehicles on the ocean floor. You could throw that jar off the Empire State Building and it won't even get a scratch."

"And the lid is made of a new steel alloy I created," said Tyler Hanscomb, "also to be used on future spacecraft. You could drop an atomic bomb on it and it won't even dent."

"And the inside of the lid is coated with a nontoxic lubricant I made specially for food preserving containers," said Violet, "there's no way he can unscrew the lid from the inside."

"So he really trapped in jar?" Shampoo asked, "truly trapped?"

"The only he'll get out is if someone lets him out," said Shawn Oberstein, "and judging from the looks of hatred you young ones gave this old monster just now, I doubt that you'll ever let him out."

"Is that so?" Happosai asked. He then looked at the two cowering fathers, "Genma, Soun! Come help your sensei!"

Sora saw Soun and Genma act as if they were conditioned. They took several reluctant steps towards the imprisoned Happosai.

"I think not!" exclaimed Felicia as she picked up a nearby kitchen knife from a meat carving table, "Genma Saotome, Soun Tendo, you two worms will stay right where you are if you know what's good for you. If not, well…" she tested the edge of the knife against one of her hairs and found it's edge to her liking, "you'll find out first hand why I'm called The Butcher of Boston."

More fearful of the knife and its wielder than they were of their master, Genma and Soun retreated back to the corner.

"That's more like it," said Felicia.

"You'd better let me out, damn it!" exclaimed Happosai as he thrashed about inside the jar, "you think I've made your lives miserable before! You ain't seen nothing yet! I'll give you a rein of terror the likes of with will haunt you to your graves!"

"How can you terrorize us if you're in there, old man?" laughed Mousse.

"How's it feel to be the helpless one for once?" Ukyo asked as she touched her fingertip to the side of the jar, "oops!" she 'accidentally' tipped the jar onto its side, knocking Happosai about inside it.

"An eye for an eye," said Kodatchi as he pushed the jar about, rolling Happoisai around inside.

"Torment for torment," said Shampoo as she spun the jar around, making Happosai very dizzy.

"Revenge doth be a dish best served cold," said Tatewaki as he shook the jar around, rattling Happosai a lot.

"Come on, Ranma!" said a very happy Ryoga as he and Mousse held the jar over a dish heater, making things very uncomfortably hot for Happosai. "You too, Akane!"

"Join the fun!" said Mousse as he grabbed a punch ladle and banged it against the jar, creating a very loud ringing inside for Happosai.

Ranma and Akane then looked at each other, then nodded together, as if declaring a truce for the moment. They walked over and began playing catch with the jar, further shaking up Happosai.

"Having fun yet, you old geezer?" Ranma asked.

"You may have terrorized our fathers," said Akane, "but your days of wrecking havoc on our lives are over!"

By now Happosai was very disoriented, but otherwise unhurt, at least as far as Sora, Riku and Kairi could tell.

"You ungrateful brats!" snapped Happosai, "after all I did for your fathers! After all that I did for you two to help you become stronger martial artists!"

"If you think that stealing women's underwear and molesting girls makes you a stronger martial artist," said Ranma, "then you don't deserve to be called a martial artist in the first place."

"I was going to say that!" Akane snapped at Ranma. But then she fixed her glare at Happosai, "but he's right. It's time we finished this once and for all."

"Alright then," said Happosai in an enraged tone as he held up his bomb and held the wick to the lit bowl of his pipe, "I've been pretty easy on you two, but when I get out of here, I'll make your lives a living hell!"

"I wouldn't do that!" said a concerned Quincy Fairchild.

"Oh but I would!" said Happosai as he lit the bomb, "Happo Fire Burst!" he threw the bomb against the side of the jar, but it bounced back to his feet, just as the fuse was just about finished, "oh no!"

The bomb exploded, but the jar contained the explosion. The air holes in the lid emitted tiny jets of flames, followed by dark streams of smoke.

"Sweet mama!" exclaimed Hannah.

"I told him that that jar was all but indestructible," said Elaine Roberts, "but the stubborn old goat just wouldn't listen."

"Nobody could survive a concentrated detonation like that," said Aaron Spartan, "nobody."

"Don't get your hopes up," said Ranma.

The smoke in the jar then cleared, revealing an dazed, mildly burned but very much alive Happosai.

"He's barely scratched!" exclaimed Kyle.

"What is this freaking monster made of?" exclaimed Felicia.

"_Je ne sais pas_," said Jean-Louise, "I definitely don't want to know."

"Well I intend to find out," said Aaron Spartan. He signaled to two security personal, "take that jar to my lab and keep several eyes on it. I'll be over there in the morning, and no matter what, don't open that jar for anything, and I mean anything." The security personal nodded and took the jar away.

"I was hoping for a more dramatic, yet ironic ending," said Tatewaki, "where the vile creature destroyed himself with his own weapon."

"You won't have to worry about him for much longer," said Aaron Spartan, "from what I've heard about Happosai, that little man is hundreds of years old. I intend to learn his secrets, even if it kills him."

"You won't get any complaints from us," said Ryoga, while Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, Kodatchi and Tatewaki, nodded in agreement.

"Glad you approve," said Aaron Spartan, "that you think this little monster is going to get what he deserves. And he deserves it. If there's one thing I hate more than anything else in the world, it's human stupidity. There's a lot of people who go around wasting the intelligence given to them, and a lot of them end up dead or horribly suffering because of that lack of intelligence. My motto; if you're that stupid, then you deserve everything that's coming to do."

"My feelings exactly," said Riku as the security personal took the still jarred Happosai away, "it's time the monster reaped the whirlwind."

"Speaking of whirlwinds," said Adam as he looked at Sora, "what was that you used to protect Kairi?"

"That was no martial arts technique," said Mousse.

"Not even Chinese Amazons can do that," said Shampoo.

"It was magic," said Hannah as she made sure that Roxy and Rebecca were alright, which they were.

"Magic?" Lola and Mike both asked.

"I…uh…I don't know what you're talking about," said Sora.

"It was magic," said Jake, "I just know it was. Don't ask me how, but it was."

"Isn't that cheating?" Kodatchi asked in an accusing tone, "if Sora can use magic, then that would give him an unfair advantage in the tournament."

"You're one to speak of unfair advantages," said Tatewaki.

"Cheating witch," muttered Ukyo, Ryoga, Shampoo and Mousse.

"I think it's safe to say that the party is over," said Violet Baudelaire, "so, I suggest that everyone call it a night. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. So, rest up tomorrow, for the day after is when the real fun begins."

"10:00 a.m. sharp," said Tyler Hanscomb, "that is when the first round of the finals of The Tournament of Light begin!"

"Thirty two have made it to this point," said Elaine Roberts, "only one can be the champion."

All the fighters eyed each other in anticipation, eagerly waiting for their chance to win the tournament.

"Well," said Sora as he, Riku and Kairi headed for the door, taking their time to give Nodoka to have a moment alone with Ranma, "this was…not what I expected."

"Me neither," said Riku, "but it was all worth it!" he held his Hannah Montana autograph like it was a sacred relic.

"I'm glad we got to meet Hannah Montana," said Kairi, "and fought to keep her safe."

"Can you believe what that little freak tried to do?" Sora asked, "just what kind of monster is he?"

"As we said," said Ukyo as she, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Kodatchi and Tatewaki walked up to them, "the worst kind."

"We've had to put up with Happosai's crap for so long," said Ryoga, "I'm still finding it hard to believe that it could all be over."

"If I know Dr. Spartan of The Heartstone Foundation," said Kodatchi, "he'll dissect the old letch until there's nothing left to molest anyone," she laughed insanely at that.

"Has anyone told you that you have a rather unique laugh?" asked Kyle as he, Felicia Valentine, Jean-Louise, Ian Donovan, Adam and Julia, walked over.

"It is interesting," said Felicia.

"I've been told that I have my quirks," said Kodatchi.

"There's the understatement of the decade," said Ukyo in a hushed tone.

"If I can be serious for one second," said Adam Callahan, "this may be the only chance I'll have to say this, before we all try to put each other in the hospital during the tournament. I want to make it clear that we, the fifteen of us, as martial artists, now that we've defended an innocent from a great evil, we're all connected now."

"We all did stand up to Happosai," said Mousse, "I guess that does form a bond of sorts."

Shampoo nodded, "we are linked."

"So what does that mean?" Kyle asked.

"It means that even though we'll all be trying our best, in our own ways, to win the tournament," said Adam, "we should all try to remember that we're still friends."

"We are friends now," said Julia, "facing down a centuries-old pervert can make friends out of strangers."

"I'm okay with us all being friends," said Sora, "but what about them?" he referred to Ranma, who was now being yelled at by Akane for not standing up to Happosai. Soun and Genma were back at the buffet table for one last plateful before the hotel staff kicked them, out, while Nodoka looked on at her son with concern as he took Akane's verbal abuse.

"Ranma Saotome doth be a cad," said Tatewaki, "while the fair Akane Tendo, she is…unreliable, if that be her only fault."

"And ill tempered," said Ukyo.

"And no good in kitchen," said Shampoo.

"And completely inept in just about everything she tried," said Kodatchi.

"Let's just keep our new friendship to ourselves then," said Riku, "and worry about Ranma and Akane later," that last part he aimed specifically at Sora and Kairi, whom then nodded in agreement.

"Then we'll be friends," said Adam, "and hopefully when this tournament is over, one of us will be the winner, and we will all still be friends." at that everyone nodded in agreement, then they began going their separate ways.

Just then Nodoka came over. "Is everything alright, Nodoka Sensei?" Riku asked.

"No," sighed Nodoka, "it isn't. I'm afraid that my son is hopelessly trapped in a vicious cycle. He and Akane argue over even the slightest slight, then they forgive each other, only to argue again later, and I'm afraid that my son is still losing his will to live.

"Even more so, he's still convinced that he has to be there for Akane, even though she has proven herself unworthy of him time and again."

"If he's so hung up abut Akane," the Kairi as they headed outside to wait for their limo to pick them up, "and it's slowly killing him, then the best thing for Ranma is to get him away from Akane."

"He needs to see once and for all that she is unhealthy for him," said Riku.

"And I think I know how," said Sora, "but first, we have some other things to worry about."

"The tournament placing for the top 32," said Riku, "they were set up so that we'll have to face several of Ranma's rivals before we'll get to fight him."

"I'm going to have to fight Shampoo in the first round," said Kairi, "and you know what will happen if I defeat her."

"She won't give you the kiss of death," said Cologne as she hopped on her staff over, "I had a long talk with my great-granddaughter before we left Tokyo. She swore on her life and love of life that, should she be defeated by another girl in the tournament, then she will forgo the kiss of death."

"Well that's a relief," said Kairi.

"But that doesn't mean that Shampoo will be easy to defeat," said Cologne, "she fights for far more than honor and glory," she looked at Nodoka in the eye, "you can be as upset as you like, young Nodoka, but your son and my great-granddaughter will be husband and wife."

"And you can be as loyal to your people's traditions as you wish," said Nodoka as she looked Cologne in the eye, "but my son will have his own life to live as he sees fit."

"We shall see," said Cologne, "we shall see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure that Mousse doesn't mistake a tractor trailer for the limo, and to keep young Ryoga from walking all the way to Mexico; I'm also chaperoning him as well." With that she hopped away on her staff.

"I'm starting to dislike her," said Sora, "what right does she have to decide another person's future like that?"

"I'm sure she has her reasons," said Nodoka as the limo pulled up, "and so do I. But we'll worry about that later. The final rounds begin the day after tomorrow, so it's back to training in the morning."

Sora, Riku and Kairi sighed in annoyance as they got into the limo.

* * *

"I can't believe that those brats didn't realize that our boy was a Heartless!" Ursula shouted with vicious glee as she, Hades and the Heartless fighter stood on the roof of the hotel, "they were in the same room with our champ and they didn't even twitch!"

"We've done a good job making sure that his prescience goes unnoticed," said Hades, "now all we got to do is make sure our boy wins."

"Oh, he'll win alright," said Ursula, "he'll win, by any means necessary."

"Jake, you were incredible!" exclaimed Lilly. Miley, Lilly, Oliver, Robbie Ray, Roxy, Rebecca and Jake, were in the back corridors heading for the rear exit of the hotel.

"He was," said Oliver, "unlike someone else."

"I can't say how sorry I am, Hannah," said a very apologetic Rebecca, "there was no warning from the watch posts around the building. There was no way that old man should have gotten in."

"Don't feel so down about yourself," said Jake, "from what I know, that Happosai is one of the most vile, disgusting and downright evil people on the planet. The FBI wouldn't stand a chance."

"Yet you caught the old bastard," said Rebecca, "I feel so, so, inadequate."

"You did everything you could," said Miley, "and that's all that could be asked."

"Oh, alright," said Rebecca who was feeling a little better, "I guess that's true. And I'll admit that Jake Ryan was awesome, as usual!"

"The way you kept your cool against that old pervert," said Oliver, "now that was good acting."

"Definitely an Oscar winner," said Lilly, "and an Emmy, and a People's Choice."

"Don't push it," said Oliver.

"Sorry," said Lilly.

"I would have done it regardless of the situation," said Jake, "for anyone, especially Miley. Nobody hurts my friends while I'm around."

"Right," said a still annoyed Robbie Ray, "you're the one doin' all the hurtin.'"

"Daddy," said Miley, "he saved me from that little creep. Don't you think that Jake's made up for his mistakes by now?"

"Which mistakes are you talking 'bout?" Roxy asked, "the one where he abandoned you to go shoot a movie in Romania? Or the one where he humiliated you in Vegas?"

"I think I've heard enough," said Rebecca, "I'll check in with my superiors and find out how tonight's fiasco happened in the first place."

"We'll see you at the tournament," said Miley. With that Rebecca left.

"Okay then," said Miley, "where were we?"

"We were talking about how unfit Jake is for you," said Robbie Ray, "and how he's brought you nothing' but pain and misery."

"Well he's paid for his mistakes in my book!" said Miley in an insisting tone, "we're on even ground now, daddy. And if you, Roxy and everyone else have a problem with it, well…then you have a problem with it. But that doesn't give you all the right to treat Jake like a cow pie."

"He did save Miley, Mr. Stewart," said Oliver, "I'm willing to give Jake another chance," he then saw Lilly glaring at him, "that is, if Lilly is willing to give him a chance."

"I'll give him another chance," said Lilly, she then glared at Jake, "assuming he behaves himself."

Robbie Ray hesitated before finally answering, "alright, Miley, if you're willin' to give Jake another chance, then so am I." he then glared at Jake, "but this is the last one, Mr. 'I'm a big action star who can do whatever he wants' Jake Ryan. You ever hurt my daughter again in any way, I'll do to you what Uncle Earl once did to this critter he found lurkin' in the barn."

"Trust me," said Miley to Jake, "you don't want to know what Uncle Earl did to that critter. And if that was bad enough, don't even ask me about what Aunt Pearl did to that other critter she found in bed one day," she shuddered at a disturbing memory, "talk about your rude awakenings."

"As I said to that old pervert," said Jake, "I'd die for you."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Miley. She and Jake were about to kiss, but Robbie Ray got between them.

"Just hold it there, little partners," said Robbie Ray, "I said I'd give him another chance, not my blessin'. If you want that, he's gonna have to earn it," he looked at Jake, "wait until the end of the tournament. I'll give you that much to behave and earn my trust again. Then you can kiss my daughter."

"I'll be a living saint," said Jake, "unlike that little monster earlier."

"You really think he's gone for good?" Oliver asked.

"That little pervert is as good as chopped liver," said Roxy, "I heard what that Dr. Spartan was going to do him, it won't be pretty."

"I'm just glad it's over," said Lilly.

"You'll get no arguments from me," said Miley.

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

Unknown to Sora, Miley and everyone else, the trouble with Happosai was far from over, for the forces of darkness had taken an interest in the old pervert.

"I don't see why you're interested in that old pipsqueak," said Pete to Maleficent as the mistress of all evil sat on her throne of darkness, replaying the images of Happosai during the party. "Sure, he's tougher than he looks, but he's nothin' but a dirty old man."

"Once again your lack of imagination betrays you, Pete," said Maleficent, "this 'dirty old man,' as you call him, possesses great power, power he selfishly uses for his own perverted gain," she smiled with vicious glee, "but imagine the darkness he could spread if his power were properly focused. What a Heartless he would make."

"I thought we don't need The Heartless as much," said Pete, "now that you figured out how to control them Nobodies."

A recent experiment conducted by Maleficent had resulted in her discovering how to enforce her will over small groups of Dusks. Any group larger than a dozen and her control would break, and she had yet to learn to control the other Nobody types, but Maleficent was pleased to have made progress at last.

"I have only begun to utilize the power of the Nobodies," said Maleficent, "we still need The Heartless, and will need them for quite some time," she then made the image of Happosai freeze with him in the jar, "I have seen examples of the chaos this man can achieve, and I wish him to join the cause."

"Well, if that's what you want," said a reluctant Pete, "I'll go fetch him."

"As if I could trust such a mission to a bumbling fool such as you," said Maleficent as she stood up from her throne and walked to the middle of the room.

"But who's gonna do it then?" Pete asked, "them two Hakoinias are still out of the castle."

"True," said Maleficent, "Nikolai and Katarina are on their respective missions, and succeeding," she smiled cruely, "but I have other Hakonians at my disposal."

"You mean…?" Pete asked.

Maleficent changed the image, showing Erika in the dungeons, struggling against a magical force that was pressing down on her; Reddik, still recovering in his rooms from a backfired curse; Konrad, forced to clean the castle from top to bottom; and Rakle, forced to alleviate an OCD induced anxiety by counting every Heartless in the castle, and now out in the city.

"As you can see, Pete," said Maleficent, "I am not without my resources. I do believe that these four dark souls have been punished enough, that they have learned that I have no tolerance for failure."

"So you're lettin' them off the hook?" Pete asked.

"Rather," said Maleficent, "that they are on probation," the images now showed the four disgraced Hakonians being taken from their respective locations by goblins to somewhere in the castle to get cleaned up, "if they wish to redeem themselves in my eyes, they will perform this one simple chore for me. If they succeed, then all will be forgiven and they will be restored to as they were before their downfalls."

"Then Rakel won't be so messed up in the head," said Pete, "Konrad won't want to clean everything, Reddik will be healed and Erika won't have such a load to carry."

"Precisely," said Maleficent, "on the other hand, if they fail in this simple chore, then they will all face their ultimate dooms by my hand. As I said, I have no tolerence for failure."

**The end of chapter 4.**

Next chapter, our heroes fight in the first round of the finals, while Aiden gets the suprise of his life. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5: The First Round

Last time found Sora, Riku and Kairi getting ready for the party for the top 32 fighters in the Tournament of Light, while at roughly the same time, they and Aiden had another dream of The Girl Who Runs With Wolves. As our heroes, minus Aiden but plus Nodoka, headed to the party, Miley, while as Hannah, met her old flame Jake Ryan. The two of them had a discussion about them still being friends where Miley told Jake about her stalker problem, which has escalated to where the maniac tried to kill a paparazzi photographer and burned down a tabloid magazine office.

During the party, Sora, Riku and Kairi met up with the fighters whom they met earlier; Kyle O'Harra, Julia Eckhart and Jean-Louise D'Arch. They also saw Adam Callahan, and were informed of Ian Donovan and Felicia Valentine, the later being the one who defeated Aiden in the preliminaries.

Our heroes were then finally introduced to Ranma, as well as his goof for nothing father Genma, his good for nothing future father in law Soun Tendo, and his uncut tomboy of a fiancée Akane. We also met Ranma's other rivals and fiancées; Ryoga Hibiki, Mousse, Shampoo and Ukyo Kuonji. Our heroes also saw the Kuno siblings, Tatewaki and Kodatchi, whom apparently had a change of heart about a certain teen pop superstar.

We then met the members of the Heartstone Foundation, whom wished the fighters well in the final rounds of the tournament. They then introduced Hannah Montana, whom also wished the fighters well. But just after Riku got his autograph of Hannah, and one for Aiden, another rival of Ranma, or should I say annoyance, crashed the party. Happosai, founder of the Anything Goes style, and a perverted monster, arrived and nearly latched onto Kairi, but Sora managed to deflect the little old pervert.

But then Happosai tried to get Hannah, but Kodatchi, Tatewaki, Shampoo, Mousse, Ryoga, Ukyo, Kyle, Jean-Louise, Julia, Adam, Felicia, Ian, Sora, Riku and Kairi, all tried to protect Hannah from the little pervert. Ranma was too indecisive to help, partly because of Akane's abuse.

But the real hero of the evening was Jake, who distracted Happosai enough to capture him in an indestructible glass jar made by the Heartstone Foundation. The medical genius of the Foundation had the little pervert taken away for dissection, which effectively ended the party. Our heroes went back to their hotel having made several friends, and Riku got his Hannah Montana autograph.

To make the evening complete, Miley completely forgave Jake for past wrongs and gave him another chance. But then Robbie Ray had his say, saying that he would also give Jake another chance, assuming he could behave until the tournament was over, then he'd give his blessing.

But all was not well, for in New Hollow Bastion, Maleficent had taken interest in the old pervert. More than 'nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 5: The First Round**

"Well I'm glad Ranma wound up with his good for nothing father most of his life," said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi and Aiden collapsed from exhaustion after their latest, and most hectic, training session, "If Nodoka Sensei raised Ranma the way she's training us, he'd either surely be a man among men, or he'd be dead."

"Couple more sessions like this," said Aiden, "and I'll be ready to give up the ghost."

The had just finished their latest run up to the Hollywood sign and back to the hotel, before which they had one serious sword practice combined with hand to hand combat practice, all of which left our heroes barely able to make it back to the hotel. They all made it to their rooms, showered, changed into dry clothing, gathered in Kairi's room and collapsed.

"Nodoka Sensei just wants us to be as ready as we can," said Kairi as she and the others regained their stamina, for they were sure to need it for tomorrow, or at least she, Riku and Sora would.

"Remind me why I had to go through that again?" Aiden asked, "I'm not even in the tournament anymore."

"So you can make it through the prelims next time," said Kairi, "and you think you had it rough? I have to fight a Chinese Amazon in the first round."

"I'm sure you'll win," said Sora, "I believe in you."

"Thanks, Sora," said Kairi as she smiled at him.

"Isn't it strange," said Riku, "I mean, none of us are going to fight Ranma yet, and according to the brackets for the top 32, we'll have to go through all his rivals first. We won't get our chance to face him until the semifinals."

"It is weird," said Sora, "I'm going to end up fighting that Kuno guy, that idiot who glomped Kairi, in the second final round."

"I hope you break his hands," said an irate Kairi, still angry over the incident of mistaken identity from the party, "so he'll never touch a girl again, let a lone a sword."

She then calmed down a bit, "but it is weird. Riku, if all goes well, you'll fight Mousse in the second round, and I'll end up fighting Akane in the quarterfinals."

"Assuming Kyle doesn't beat her beforehand," said Aiden, "from what you told me, he'll fight Akane in the second round."

"Well whoever knocks that brat out of the tournament will have my thanks," said Kairi, "I can't believe how awful she treated Ranma during the party. I mean, he was just trying to be nice and she acted like he was a criminal or something."

"Hearing how bad she was from Nodoka Sensei was one thing," said Sora, "but to see it for real, it was just wrong."

_:It's more than just a dysfunctional couple,:_ said Roxas, _:I had the distinct impression that there is something seriously wrong with Akane Tendo. And from what I saw of Ranma's other rivals, they all have their own problems, serious problems.:_

:_From just last night,:_ said Naminé, _:I could tell that Ryoga Hybiki suffers from manic depression, and I feel that his problem is only getting worse. And that's just Ryoga, the others associated with Ranma have their own problems as well.:_

"I think you're right," said Kairi out loud.

"Mind filling us in on what you're talking about?" Aiden asked, "for those of us whom aren't blessed with psychic powers."

"Roxas and Naminé were just telling us that Ranma isn't the only one with a problem," said Sora, "his rivals and fiancées all have troubles of their own."

"Maybe we could help them," said Kairi, "as well as Ranma. There must be a way for everyone to be happy, or at least satisfied somehow."

"If we are able to help them," said Riku, "then we will. But should we help them in the first place? I mean, we're helping Ranma regain his confidence as a martial artist and as a human being, so he'll be able to stand up for himself and take charge of his life.

"My question is would it be right to help the others? I'm shure they have their own problems, but sometimes a person is in trouble not because of outside influences. Not like Ranma, who is the way he is because of several cruel twists of fate. Sometimes, a person is in trouble because of the choices he or she makes."

"I'll bet the Kuno siblings are as stupid and crazy as they are because of a few ill choices they made," said Aiden, "and that Ryoga guy, he probably made one too many bad decisions."

"The boys are probably that way," said Kairi, "Tatewaki, Ryoga and Mousse, but not the girls, Kodatchi, Ukyo and Shampoo. I got the impression that Kodatchi is truly mentally unstable and needs professional help. As for Shampoo and Ukyo, they in their own way truly care about Ranma, maybe it goes as far as love. They just need to realize that while he likes them, he's not in love with them."

"I'm partial to agree with you," said Riku, "but what about Shampoo's great-grandmother, Cologne? She's hell bent on Ranma and Shampoo marrying."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Sora asked, "honor and tradition are one thing, but from what we heard, Cologne seems obsessed with this. It's like she believes she has a very, very good reason, but she isn't talking."

"We'll figure this out," said Kairi, "we'll have plenty of time to learn more about Ranma's friends during the tournament. But that's for later. Right now I'd like to get some shopping done before dinner."

"I'd like to explore the city myself," said Riku, "hopefully before Nodoka Sensei comes back from her errand and drags us into another training session."

"I can't take much more of this," said Aiden as they all headed for the elevators "and I'm not even fighting tomorrow."

They all reached the lobby and were about to go to the elevator, when someone familiar walked in the doors.

"Miley!" said Kairi.

"Hey, I heard you guys had quite the party last night," said Miley. They all sat down in the lobby sitting area.

"You're not kidding," said Sora, "we met Hannah Montana!"

"She was awesome!" said a grinning Riku, "she sang for us, and we got her autograph."

"And then a pervert crashed the party," said Sora, "we all tied to kick him out, but he jumped over us and tried to molest Hannah."

Miley then blinked and hesitated, as if trying to figure out what to say next, "that's horrible! I hope they ripped the little old creep in half."

"Oh he'll get what's coming to him," said Riku, "he will. But the real hero was Jake Ryan. He tricked the pervert into getting caught."

"That was awesome," said Kairi. She then looked at Miley in a friendly accusing manner, "speaking of which, You never told me that you dated Jake Ryan."

"How'd you…?" Miley asked, "oh, the internet blogs. Well, I never told you about Jake and me because you never asked, duh."

"Well don't keep me in suspense," said Kairi in an eager tone, "tell me, what's he like?"

"Oh boy," said Miley. She and Jake were, unofficially, back together, but their relationship was still complicated, and she didn't know how much she should tell Kairi.

"Well, let's see," Miley said finally, "we met in middle school. At first I couldn't stand the sight of him. I mean, I saw Jake as a stuck-up T.V. star who always got what he wanted, whatever it was, who had no idea what living like a real kid was all about.

"But then I kinda got used to him. Then I sort of liked him, then I really liked him, then I hated him again, then I liked him, hated him, liked him, and then he kissed me on the beach, in broad daylight."

"So that's when you were together," said Kairi.

"Uh, no," said Miley, "he kissed me, then he told me that he had to go to Romania to shoot a movie, and I didn't see or hear from him again for six months. He came back and tried to pick things up where he left me hanging, but I wasn't in the mood."

"So you hated him again," said Kairi.

"No, not really," said Miley, "I would have been more nice to him, but at the time I thought he was dating his co-star from the movie. But then he said that he loved me, on live television. And then I told him that loved him too."

"So that's when you were together," said Kairi, "for real. But what happened?"

"I couldn't stand living his life," said Miley, making sure that she didn't mention a hit about her confessing to Jake her secret, "everywhere we went, the press hounded us. Total strangers were fawning over him and we never had any privacy. I decided that even though I loved him, I couldn't be with him in his world," she also made sure to omit the part where she purposely humiliated herself while with Jake in order to get him to break up with her.

"I told Jake that I couldn't live his life, but I still wanted to be friends, and strangely enough, he also wanted to still be friends, and that he also had some maturity issues to work out himself."

"Maturity issues?" Kairi asked.

"This one time," said Miley, "Jake disguised himself so we could have a date without being hounded by flashbulbs and adoring fans. It would have worked out, but his own nature got the better of him."

"Let me guess," said Kairi, "bad habits from being a superstar for too long?"

"Took the words right outa my mouth," said Miley.

"It's too bad you and Jake didn't work out," said Sora, "everyone deserves to be happy."

"Even little old perverts?" Riku asked.

"Depends on how human they are," said Aiden, "most people deserve a chance to redeem themselves, but from what you guys told me about Happosai, that guy was a real monster who's going to get what it deserves."

"Amen to that, my friend," said Miley, "he was a real monster." She then saw that everyone was looking at her oddly, so she changed the subject, "so, you guys are ready for the tournament tomorrow?"

"As ready as we can be," said Riku.

"We're almost guaranteed to win," said Sora confidently.

"I'll be cheering you on," said Aiden, "all the way back in the nosebleed section of the arena."

"Then you should have bought a ticket closer to the ring," said Sora.

"Well I would have gotten a ticket sooner," said an irate Aiden, "if I had known that I wouldn't be in the finals."

"Don't blame me for this," said Sora, "it's not my fault that the tournament officials won't let you watch with Nodoka Sensei."

"What's this about?" Kairi asked.

"While Nodoka Sensei was making us do those extra kata sets," said Riku, "Aiden tried to get a ticket for the tournament, and he didn't have much luck getting a good seat."

"I won't be able to watch you guys fight," said Aiden, "not clearly that is." he sighed and sat down, "and because the first round is tomorrow, I'll be lucky to even get a seat in the nosebleed section."

"Well, you should have gotten a ticket as soon as you were disqualified," said Riku.

"Don't you start with me," said Aiden, "I'm still feeling bad about loosing to a girl."

"She didn't seem all that bad to me," said Kairi, "Felicia Valentine, she seemed pretty nice."

"They all were okay," said Riku, "especially when we all got together and defended Hannah from that creep Happosai."

"You guys were awesome!" said a very happy looking Miley.

"How would you know?" Kairi asked suspiciously.

At that Miley blinked in surprise, "I…I meant to say that I heard that you guys were awesome. And you were! It was all over the internet, how you and those other fighters stopped that lill' pervert from getting his grubby paws on Hannah Montana. I mean, it was just incredible."

"We were incredible then," said Sora.

"Too bad I missed it," said a pouting Aiden, "like I'll miss the rest of the tournament."

At that Miley had the look of someone who just had a very good idea. "I wouldn't feel so bad about it, Aiden. You never know what's going to happen. Somethin' might turn up."

"Like what?" Aiden asked.

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait," said Nodoka as she walked up to Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "right now I have four young fighters who need to get one last training session in before dinner."

"We just did a training session!" whined Sora.

"And don't you mean three fighters?" Aiden asked.

"Don't think that being eliminated from the tournament has excused you from taking care of yourself," said Nodoka in a disapproving manner, " you've got a long way to go before the next tournament, so I'll be working you twice as hard as the others."

"Have fun with that," said a grinning Riku, while Sora and Kairi sighed quietly, thinking that Nodoka will be focusing on Aiden more than them.

"And don't think I'll be going easy on you three," said Nodoka, "you're going up against the best in the world. I want you to be at your best."

"Yes, Sensei," groaned Sora, Riku and Kairi.

"I think I'd better go," said Miley.

"That's a good idea," said Kairi, "you really don't want to see what Nodoka Sensei does to us. We'll talk later."

"Good luck tomorrow," said Miley. She then looked at Aiden, "and don't lose hope. Good things happen to good people."

"What about bad people?" Riku asked.

"Eventually they get what's commin' to them," said Miley.

"Last night was the perfect example," said Kairi, "I hope they cut that monster Happosai into little pieces."

"And I hope they burn the pieces," said Miley, "he deserves it." she then saw Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden look at her suspiciously, "so I've heard. I'll just be going now." With that she left.

"Your friend is kinda weird," said Sora.

"She is unusual," said Kairi, "but she's cool."

"Less talking, more training," said Nodoka.

Miley watched Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden being herded out of the lobby by Nodoka. Once they were gone, she pulled out her cell phone and called up Robbie Ray, "hey, daddy, it's. Look, is it alright I do a favor for a friend?"

* * *

"I'm exhausted!" exclaimed Sora as he, Riku, Kairi and Aiden headed back to the hotel after their most horrific training session with Nodoka yet.

"I'm sore in places I didn't even know I had," said Aiden.

"No way we'll be in fighting condition by 10:00 tomorrow morning," said Kairi, "my magic can heal soreness and stiff muscles, but not an energy drain. We'll still be worn out by the time the tournament starts." She then looked at Sora, Riku and Aiden, "please tell me you brought a Potion or two?"

"I left all my recovery items at home," said Sora, "Sorry."

"I didn't know we would need them," said Riku.

"Which is why you've got me around," said Aiden as the entered the hotel, "I packed a few Hi-Potions, just in case."

"You are an extraordinary person, Aiden Mackenzie," said a very happy Kairi, "and if I wasn't madly in love with Sora, I'd kiss you."

"I wouldn't want to do anything that would make Sora pissed with me," said Aiden, "but, if it's alright, I'd accept a hug."

"Just as soon as we've all had a shower," said Kairi, "I don't meant to be rude, but you guys stink."

"Well you smell like you're about to explode," said Aiden.

"My eyes aren't watering because I'm homesick," said Sora. At that all three of them laughed.

"This is why I'm the mature one," said Riku. They all headed for the elevator, when the desk clerk called Aiden over, spoke to him and handed him a large envelope.

"What's that?" Sora asked as they got into the elevator.

"Someone left me a letter," said Aiden as he opened the envelope, "but I don't know anyone in this town."

"Who could have sent it?" Kairi asked, "I don't see a return address."

Aiden took out the letter, but another piece of paper fell out of the envelope as well, along with a photograph.

Sora picked up the smaller paper, "this is a VIP ticket for the tournament!"

"And this is an autographed photo of Hannah Montana!" exclaimed Kairi as she picked up the other object

"Let me see!" exclaimed Riku. He tried to grab the photo from Kairi but she held it away from him,

Aiden meanwhile was reading the letter out loud…

_Dear Aiden Mackenzie,_

_I heard that you didn't make it to the final rounds of the tournament. Your friends told me that you worked really hard and that you tried your best, and that you were really looking forward to meeting me at the party._

_I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you, not everything does. But if you keep trying, things do work out in the end. I hope this token of appreciation will make your stay in town that much happier. Who knows, we might just get to say hello after all._

_Tell Sora, Riku and Kairi that I wished them good luck in the finals, and that I said thanks for helping me during the party. I hope you have a great time watching the tournament. Best of wishes…_

_Hannah_

"Miley was right," said a widely grinning Aiden, "good things do happen to good people."

"You're going to watch the tournament after all!" said Sora, "awesome!" He handed the ticked to Aiden.

"And in the VIP area," said an impressed Kairi, "and an autographed picture of Hannah no less." She then handed the picture to Aiden.

"I'll trade you anything of mine for that picture!" said an eager, almost desperate sounding Riku, "anything of mine, you want it, it's yours!"

"No way, man!" said an irate Aiden as the elevator stopped at their floor, "not even if you had copies of the most advanced Alchemy books in all of The State, I wouldn't give up this picture."

"Well what about your apartment?" Riku asked as they headed for their rooms, "you'll need someone to help you move in once you've found a place of your own. You pick it out, and I'll move all your stuff in!"

"No," said Aiden stubbornly.

"Well what about transportation!" said Riku, "you'll be old enough to drive soon, and I'll let you drive my car that I got for my birthday. Let me have that picture, and you can use my car any time you want!"

"That old hunk of scrap?" exclaimed Aiden, "I don't think so." By then he had reached his room, quickly unlocked the door and got inside. He then poked his head out, "who's the mature one now?" he asked Riku, then slammed the door shut.

"He's not going to give it to you," said Sora.

"I know," said a disappointed Riku.

"At least give us the Hi-Potions!" said Kairi.

The door opened wide enough for Aiden to toss out three recovery items, then slammed the door shut again.

"I think we're lucky to get that much out of him," said Sora.

"At least he'll get to see the tournament," said Kairi.

"And we'll have the best seats in the show," said Riku in a serious tone, "right in the middle of the action. Tomorrow's the big day, so we'd better get ready."

"You said it," said Sora.

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

Maleficent sat on her throne of darkness as first Reddik, then Rakel, Konrad and finally Erika, were brought into the throne room by goblins and thrown to their knees in front of her.

All four of them had been thoroughly cleaned and dressed in clean clothing; Reddik wearing brown warlock robes fashioned in the Bedouin style, Rakel wearing a green blouse and jacket over a tan skirt and high-heals, Konrad dressed as a 18th century fop in his blue jacket over a white shirt with lacy sleeves, as well as matching blue trousers and brown boots, and Erika wearing a black jacket over a green tank-top with a blue skirt and black boots.

But the four Hakonians still looked worse for wear. For his failure to plunge the world of the Alchemists into darkness, Reddik was forced to suffer the nearly indescribable agony of his wounds he received from a backfired curse that left his skin permanently stained yellow, green and purple. His marred face was partially twisted in torment as he knelt before Maleficent.

Rakel had been forced to chase after Sora and the others. She failed, and had been sentenced to count every Heartless in the castle. The counting was an outlet to alleviate an agonizing level of anxiety brought on by Maleficent's acceleration of Rakel's OCD. As she knelt before the mistress of all evil, a look of unbridled anxiety was on Rakel's face as she desperately tried to keep the number of Heartless already counted in her head, for if she lost that number, she'd have to start over again.

Konrad was also punished for his failure to destroy Sora and the Keyblade Wielders. But his punishment was far more humiliating for him. Being of 'superior' status than his fellow Hakonians, Konrad was made to clean the entire castle from top to bottom without the use of magic. His hands were still chafed and raw from all the scrubbing, while a slight odor of cleaning chemicals permeated from his skin. As if that was enough, he had to endure living with a scar that ran from his right eye to his left jaw, a scar Riku gave him.

As for Erika, she had been forced to learn the lesson of carrying her own weight. For allowing one of her fellow Hakonians to be killed by the Keyblade Wielders and their Shinobi allies, Erika had spent the past several months in the castle dungeons with a magical force pressing down on her, a force equivalent to her own physical weight. Her months of carrying her own literally carrying her own weight had caused Erika to become much more stronger physically, and with a much more muscular body as well. But she still had that cursed weight on her, a weight that was in fact just a few pounds heavier than herself and always increased just a bit whenever she grew accustomed to the weight.

"Judging from the looks of unadulterated loathing you four are giving me," said Maleficent, "I imagine that you are all thinking of destroying me here and now."

"The thought has crossed my mind," said Reddik as he grimaced against the pain.

"I'd rip your head off it would end this torment," said Rakel as she kept looking at her watch, noting the time she was away from counting Heartless.

"I'd bathe myself in your blood," said Konrad, "if it would get the stench of household cleaners out of my system."

"I haven't stopped thinking about killing you since the second you put the weighted whammy on me," said Erika. She struggled against the weight to stand up, "you did this to me in order to break my spirit. Well, you haven't broken me yet, witch! On the contrary, my spirit has never been stronger! If you think I'll submit and become a lapdog of yours, you've got another thing coming!"

"And my spirit isn't broken either!" said Reddik as he stood up against the pain, "you think leaving me in agony will make me stop loving Rakel. You thought to make me hate her by making me watch her in her agony. Well you've failed, Maleficent! Even though the woman I love has been humiliated, even thought she probably can't hear me thought her anxieties, I love her more than ever," he glared at Maleficent in the eye, "and there's nothing you can do to make me stop loving her!"

"My spirit is intact as well," said Konrad as he stood up, "you thought to humiliate me in order to teach me a lesson. Well, I have learned nothing!"

Rakel also stood up, "are you going to keep us here all day, bitch? I have Heartless to count."

"Such arrogance," said Maleficent, "such stubborn resolve," she stood up from her throne, "it's no wonder your race survived such devastating wars, and the attention of The Doctor no less."

"Don't you dare bring up that meddling Time Lord!" snapped Erika.

Maleficent abruptly raised her staff, blasting the four Hakonias with dark magic, forcing them to their knees again, "such attitudes have no place in my new order. If you think your torments were unbearable, I can think of much, much worse agonies for you to experience."

She glared at Reddik, "I can make you feel pain the likes of which would leave you screaming your voice into ruin within minutes. You will suffer a pain that will completely obliterate every thought in your pathetic mind, leaving only the desire to die, a desire that will never be fulfilled."

She glared at Rakel, "I can see to it that your anxieties leave you paralyzed by irrational fear. You will be unable to leave your quarters for fear that some 'stranger' will enter your domicile and 'touch' your possessions. Or, I can see to it that you experience compulsive behavior that forces you to exhaust your body to the point of no return, only to hold back just enough to keep you from expiring."

She glared at Konrad, "you will be made to clean this entire world inside and out. You will search out every speck of dust, every microbe of filth, every blemish, until this world is perfectly clean, and you will keep it clean. I can force you to humiliate yourself to the point where you'll beg for death, if only to end your shame, but you won't end your life at all."

She glared at Erika, "you've experienced what carrying your own weight is. But since that is not enough, will make you carry the weight of others. Imagine, day after endless day, carrying the weight of three, four, five other people on your back. You will feel your body stretched the limit of endurance, just an inch away from the point of no return where you break. But your body won't break, I will see to it that your spirit breaks instead."

"Then get it over with!" snapped Rakel as her mind momentarily broke free of her anxieties, "do your worst! Just stop wasting my time!"

"Ah yes," said Maleficent, "time, there never is enough of it when you truly need it." she then lowered her staff and released her magic, causing the four Hakonians to gasp with relief.

"Time is always against us," said Maleficent, "as well speak, the forces of Light grow stronger, while the darkness is held back by lack of competent acolytes," she looked at the four Hakonians, "your comrades, Nikolai and Katarina, while they to have their faults, they have yet to disappoint me. However, they are only two, and despite their talents, they cannot do the work of six."

"You're going to give us another chance?" Reddik asked.

"Why should we take that chance?" snapped Rakel, "you're just going to punish us again the second one of us makes the smallest of mistakes."

"You judge me too harshly," said Maleficent as she smiled disarmingly, "the chance to redeem yourselves will be quite simple. All I ask is that you retrieve a potential dark ally from a world that already has its Keyhole sealed. If you succeed then all your ailments and torments shall be lifted from your shoulders to never trouble you again. Fail and the hells you've experience until now will seem like paradise compared to what will be in store for you. "

"Kidnap a potential Villain?" Konrad asked, "That's all we have to do?" He laughed, "such a simple task would normally be beneath me, but if it will end my humiliation, I'll retrieve this potential ally."

"I'll do it too," said Erika, "if only to get this chip off my shoulder," she looked at Maleficent, "I'll work with others, this time. But afterwards we need to come to an understanding; I work alone."

"I believe we can work something out," said Maleficent. She looked at Rakel and Reddik, "and what of the estranged lovers? What condition do you ask of?"

"Only that we be allowed to be ourselves," said Rakel as she struggled to keep her anxieties at bay, "you may be unable to experience matters of the heart, but we can."

"My relationship with Rakel stays," said Reddik, "but her anxieties and my pain goes. That's all we ask."

"Then that is how it shall be," said Maleficent. She raised her staff again and sent a pulse of magic at the four Hakonians, "I've temporally alleviated you of your torments, so they will not interfere with your mission. When you bring back the person of interest, you shall receive the full restoration of your selves in mind and body. Fail in any way and you will suffer the consequences."

"Failure is no longer a word in my vocabulary," said Rakel as she sighed with relief from the lack of anxieties in her mind.

"Nor is it in my vocabulary," said Reddik as he also sighed in relief when the pain left his body, although he would soon learn that his skin was still stained from the backfired curse.

"We'll fetch this present for you, oh mistress of all evil," said Konrad.

"And then we'll get back to what we've all surely been thinking of," said Erika as she stretched her muscles, working out the strain of the cursed weight, "taking our revenge on the ones who got us into these messes in the first place."

"Between the four of us," said Reddik, "The Keyblade Wielders don't stand a ghost of a chance."

"I think not," said Maleficent, "you've all faced Sora and his friends, and all of you have failed miserably to destroy them. As far as I am concerned, you have proven yourselves completely unworthy to even try to destroy the Keyblade Wielders.

"Instead, you shall focus your efforts on your original tasks; plunging worlds into darkness and seeking out stronger versions of Heartless to fill the ranks of the new order."

"If not us, great Maleficent," said Rakel, "then who will destroy Sora and his pathetic friends?"

"You have two other Hakonian allies," said Maleficent, "they are on other assignment at this time, but they have yet to have their chance to destroy the enemy."

"Nikolai and Katarina?" Reddik asked, "the bookworm and the airhead?"

"Our comrades are doomed," said Erika in a matter of fact tone.

"That is not your concern," said Maleficent as she summoned a large scroll and sent it into Reddik's hands, "this is the information on the subject you are to retrieve, as well as his location, and information on the world he resides on. You have seven days to return with the subject. Fail to return, and there will be no place in all of existence where you can hide from my wrath. Now, go."

"We live only to serve you, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said Rakel as she, Reddik, Konrad and Erika bowed. They then left the throne room, leaving Maleficent alone with her pet raven.

"This shall keep them occupied for some time, my pet," said Maleficent as she sat on her throne again, "and shall surely teach them the value of cooperation. When the time is right, after the other two fools fail in their efforts, then all six will work together to destroy The Keyblade Wielders. Their mutual survival will force them to cooperate to that end. And then, when the Hakonians have completed their task of destroying The Keyblade Wielders and finding all seven of the new Princesses of Heart, when they are no longer necessary, they will become another six Heartless for me to command." At that she laughed viciously.

* * *

"So we're still going to try and get away?" Rakel asked Reddik once they were out of earshot of Maleficent.

"As soon as the pale-eyed bitch lets her guard down," said Reddik, "as soon as we're no longer inhibited by our problems. Then we'll go someplace where it'll just be the two of us."

"I'll help you escape," said Erika, "but only so far as to get away from this hell house, and then I'll be going my separate way."

"You really are a lone wolf," said Rakel.

"And proud of it," said Erika. She then glared at Konrad, "I hope our blue-blooded friend isn't thinking of ratting us out to the so called boss lady."

"And be stuck here with that low-born wench of a sorceress who dared to think she could humiliate me and get away with it?" Konrad asked, "I think not! When the time comes, I'll pay her back with equal humiliation by ensuring our escape is foolproof. An eye for an eye, a humiliation for a humiliation."

"My thoughts exactly," said Reddik, "but until we're ready to make our escape, we'd best play along with Maleficent's game," he opened the scroll and began studying the information on the target person, "we'll start with our charade by fetching this…this Happosai of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."

"According to this," said Rakel as she read the scroll, "the little prune of a man is hundreds of years old, yet still spry as a teenager."

"Amateur," said Konrad in a disapproving manner, "our race mastered longevity and extended youth eons ago."

"I'll bet our people never developed abilities like this," said Reddik, "apparently, Happosai gets his power from stealing women's underwear and molesting women as well."

"A pervert by any other name," said a disgusted Rakel.

"And we have to bring this filthy little troll here?" Erika asked in a highly offended tone.

"It's what Maleficent wants," said Reddik as he rolled up the scroll, "and until we're ready to make our escape, Maleficent's word is law."

"I won't argue with that," said Rakel.

"Whatever," said Erika, "just so long as I don't have to touch the old pervert."

"Konrad will do it," said Rakel.

"Hell no!" snapped Konrad, "his perversions will probably rub off!"

"We'll figure out something," said Reddik, "we have seven days."

"Which world are we going to anyway?" Erika asked, "Traverse Town? The old Hollow Bastion? Halloween Town?"

"The old bastard would fit in on that world," said Reddik, "but no. It's on the same world the Keybalde Wielders are on."

"An 'Earth?' Rakel asked in a concerned tone, "which one is that specifically?"

"Is there something wrong with that world?" Reddik asked.

"It may be," said Rakel, "you remember, a few years ago, when one of our peers was caught stealing secret scrolls from the elders?"

"I remember," said Konrad, "it was quite the scandal. She was banished from the Hakonian race. Almost all her dark powers were stripped and her near immortality was taken away so she now ages like a normal human."

"And her name was stricken from our records," said Erika, "and the name was cursed so no Hakonian may ever utter it again. I remember her face, but I cannot remember her name."

"None of us can remember her name," said Rakel, "but a condition was set that if any Hakonian sees her in the flesh, then her name will be remembered and her powers restored."

"Why are you so worried about this?" Reddik asked.

"She was banished to a backwards planet in another universe," said Rakel, "to a world known as Earth. What if this Earth is the one where she was banished to? And if it is, what if we see her?"

"Then our lives will become much more complicated than they are right now," said Reddik.

"So we'll just pop into wherever they have this Happosai and pop out," said Erika, "problem solved."

"It's far more complicated than that," said Reddik, "I'll explain, but we'll have to move fast. Remember; seven days."

"As if I'll forget," said Konrad.

* * *

"Well this is it," said Sora as he, Riku and Kairi arrived at the fighters area in the arena with Nodoka. Aiden was already at the front entrance and was being shown to the VIP seats.

"I think I'm going to throw up," said a nervous Kairi.

"What are you so shook up about?" Riku, "you're not fighting till almost the end of the matches today."

"Just relax, Kairi," said Sora in an assuring manner, "you're going to win for sure."

"I'm not worrying about the actual fight," said Kairi, "it's all those people in the audience. Can't you hear them? There's got to be tens of thousands in there by now."

Sure enough, Sora and the others could hear thousands upon thousands of spectators and eager fight fans milling about in the arena seating, waiting for the fights to begin. Sora and Riku were in their normal attire, while Kairi had adopted a red top with blue and white shorts, with her hair was tied back to keep it out of her eyes.

"Just take a deep breath, Kairi," said Nodoka, "and you should also relax a bit, Sora, you too, Riku. You're not scheduled to fight for a while, so take a rest and gather yourselves."

"Are you sure you're our Sensei?" Riku asked as he, Sora and Kairi blinked in surprise.

"Not all sensei's push their students all the time," said Nodoka.

"Guess that makes sense," said Sora.

Kairi then received a text message, "it's from Miley. She's sorry she, Lilly and Oliver can't make it to the tournament, but they'll cheer us on from home." she then began hyperventilating, "oh, man! Half a billion people are going to watch us on TV and on the internet!"

"They've been watching us on the internet," said Sora, "all during the preliminaries."

"Oh," said Kairi as she began to calm down, "okay," she took several deep breaths, "I'm okay now."

"Nice recovery," said Kyle as he, Julia and Jean-Louise came over, "I nearly had to breathe into one of those paper bags to calm down."

Kyle was wearing a blue and white linen shirt and pants, while Jean-Louise wore an orange and blue karate gi. Julia wore a green spandex top and shorts with her hands and forearms wrapped in fighting tape.

"I spent forty-five minutes this morning reading my favorite book," said Jean-Louise, "that always helps me relax."

"I'm not nervous at all, mates," said Julia as she smiled confidently, "you're looking at the tournament winner right here."

"Is that a fact?" said Tatewaki Kuno as he walked over, wearing a similar blue samurai outfit he wore the last day of the preliminaries "then the fair maiden from down under doth be mistaken. For the blue thunder, the rising star of kendo, Tatewaki Kuno, shall claim victory in this tournament."

"Dream on," said Felicia Valentine as she, Ian Donovan and Adam Callahan, "a freaking idiot like you wouldn't last thirty seconds in the first round?"

Felicia wore a white top and red shorts, while Ian wore a white karate gi, and Adam wore a green kung fu outfit.

"And a blowhard from Boston like you would last longer?" asked Kodatchi Kuno as she walked over, wearing a green leotard "we may have been united in a common cause earlier against that horrible troll, Happosai, and we did declare friendship among us, but in the arena of glory, there can be only one champion."

"I thank you for your vote of confidence, sister dear," said Tatewaki.

"I wasn't talking about you, oh brother of mine," said Kodatchi, "I was referring to myself. I shall be the winner, and I shall stand in front of the whole world and be haled as the greatest, then my darling Ranma shall declare his everlasting love for me!"

"No way in hell!" shouted Ukyo as she ran over, wearing a blue and white outfit that left her arms free for movement. Strapped to her back was a large plastic spatula, while several smaller spatulas were holstered on a bandolier-type belt. Her hair was tied back by a white ribbon. "I'm the one who'll get Ranma's love. He's my best friend, and that friendship will leap to the next level as we both make it to the final round and declare it a draw!"

"Ukyo-girl one egg short of dozen!" said Shampoo as she rushed over, wearing a red and flower print Chinese martial arts outfit "Shampoo be one to make it to finals with Ranma, then we both go on date!"

"I'm the only one my darling Ranma can date!" said an irate Kodatchi.

"I am!" said Ukyo.

"Shampoo is!"

"I think you girls are getting ahead of yourselves," said Mousse as he walked over, wearing blue pants and a white shirt with very wide sleeves, while his glasses were sitting on tip of his head, "how can you possibly date Ranma, if he's in the hospital? When I face him, I'll break him in half."

"Uh, we're over here, Mousse," said an annoyed Ukyo.

Sora saw Mouse realize that he was talking to a fire extinguisher. He blinked in surprise then put his glasses back on, "oh, there you guys are. Sorry."

"Should he even be fighting?" Kairi asked, "I'm surprised he can see even with his glasses."

"Shampoo wonder that many times," said the purple-haired Amazon.

Just then Ryoga limped over, wearing a yellow shirt and black pants, leaning heavily on a traveling staff for support, looking like he had just finished a marathon, "I made it!" he gasped before collapsing into a nearby chair, letting his backpack with a red umbrella strapped to it fall off his shoulders "I made it to the tournament!"

"What happened to you?" Sora asked.

"He probably got lost again," said an unconcerned Mousse, "he's always getting lost."

"I nearly killed myself getting here!" snapped Ryoga through gritted teeth, "no thanks to Ranma."

"What did Ranma Saotome do to you to make you get lost?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know," said Ryoga, "but whatever it was, he did it!"

"Now wait just a dang gone minute," said Ian Donovan, "aren't you being a little too hasty blamin' someone else for your misfortune?"

"It's his fault I tell you!" shouted Ryoga, "it's always his fault!"

"This guy clearly needs analysis," said Felicia.

"I'm partial to agree with you," said Adam Callahan.

"That's be enough of that out of you, Ryoga Hibiki," said an irate Kairi as she walked over. She looked Ryoga in the eye in a serious manner, "you think it's easy blaming someone else for your bad luck. Well, maybe if you had some empathy in your heart, you'd realize the truth of your situation."

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga asked, "I have plenty of empathy."

"Not towards where it counts," said Nodoka, "but that's just my opinion."

"You really are a piece of work, Ryoga Hibiki," said Kairi as she placed her hand roughly on his shoulder, "if I weren't such a good person, I'd give you exactly what you deserved. Instead I'm going to do something profoundly decent, given the situation." She then tossed a High Potion to Ryoga, "drink that, now!"

Not wanting to argue, Ryoga drank the healing item, instantly him of his various scrapes and bruises he accumulated on his 'journey' to the arena this morning, while partially restoring his stamina. The effect of his wounds being healed and his energy restored left Ryoga speechless.

"There," said Kairi as she sat back, feeling slightly smug "now you have an even chance with the rest of us. And I hope this will help you realize that every bout of bad luck you've ever suffered isn't the fault of someone else; that every problem in your life can be fixed if you just try."

"That's my philosophy as well," said Adam, "I've always believed that fortune shines on those who help themselves as much as they help others."

"God loves people who try," said Jean-Louise, "people who make the most of their lives."

"On the other hand," said Kyle, "there are those who tend to waste their lives away in pointless pursuits, who mooch off of the charity of good people, who believe that it's okay to do whatever you want, regardless of the rights of others."

"What is it that thou art implying?" asked Tatewaki.

"I think he means that you guys should just leave me alone already," said Ranma as he walked over, wearing a red Chinese style short sleeved shirt and black pants.

"Ranma Darling!" Kodatchi exclaimed joyfully as she scampered over to fling her arms around him. But Kodatchi was intercepted by Shampoo.

"Ranma and Shampoo win tournament together!" exclaimed the purple-haired Amazon, but then Ukyo pushed her aside.

"I'm the one who's going to claim a 1-2 victory with Ranma!" she shouted. The three female martial artists began arguing with each other over whom would get to share the tournament with Ranma.

"Thou art a villain, Ranma Saotome!" snapped Tatewaki, "I hath trusted thee with my sister's heart, and now thou hath broken it asunder. I shall utterly destroy the in this tournament!"

"I always knew you were the enemy of women, Ranma!" snapped Mousse, "I'm gonna make you pay for upsetting Shampoo!"

"It's bad enough that he's got Akane upset all the time," said an angry Ryoga, "but now he has to get my friend Ukyo mad. If there wasn't a rule against killing in this tournament, Ranma, I would rip your head off!"

Just then Akane walked over and saw Kodatchi, Ukyo and Shampoo still arguing. She glared at Ranma, "having fun with your harem, Ranma?"

The sight of Ranma just standing there, taking all this abuse from those in his life, was more than Sora, Riku and Kairi could take. The three of them, then shouted together, "Why don't you creeps just leave Ranma alone!"

This sudden triple outburst got everyone attention. It also got the attention of several tournament officials who were making sure that nothing got out of hand before the fights started.

"Is everything alright here?" one of the officials asked.

"Just some pre-fight jitters," said Nodoka.

"Well, just keep it calm," said the other official, "the rules are clear; any roughhousing before the matches will result in disqualification to those involved."

"We know," said Ukyo, "we studied the rules before hand."

"We'll behave," said Riku.

"I certainly have no intention of causing any trouble," said Kyle.

"Wish the same could be said for some of us," muttered Felicia as she eyed Mousse, Tatewaki, Ryoga, Kodatchi, Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane.

"We too shall be on our best behavior," said Kodatchi, "won't we, dearest brother?"

"As if psycho girl could behave," muttered Shampoo.

"I'm with you on that," said Ukyo.

"We'll settle this during the tournament," said Ryoga, "Ranma, you'd better not lose to anyone else, or I'll really be upset."

"That'd be an improvement for you, Ryoga," said Ranma.

"Don't pick on him!" snapped Akane, "he's just showing good sportsmanship."

Sora, Riku and Kairi then saw Ryoga looking at Akane with adoring eyes, but his own self doubts were holding him back from acting on that adoration.

"Let's just agree to not try to kill each other until after the tournament," said Ukyo, "isn't that reasonable?"

"Shampoo think so," said the purple-haired Amazon.

"For once you peasants have a good suggestion," said Kodatchi, "so be it. We shall let the tournament itself decide who faces Ranma, for better," she then eyed her rival fiancées, then her brother, then Mousse and Ryoga, "or for worse."

"For once the psychopath is making sense," said Mousse, "I'll go with it. Full honor goes to whomever defeats Ranma."

"Beating him in front of half a billion people would surely satisfy me," said Ryoga.

"As would I doth be satisfied," said Tatewaki. He then looked at Akane, "and what of the fair Akane Tendo? Would she be satisfied with whomever faces and defeats the cad Ranma Saotome?"

"I could care less whoever kicks Ranma's ass," said Akane, "I'm doing this just for the prize money, nothing more, nothing less," she then glared at Ranma, "have fun with your idiot friends, Ranma, and your sluts, all of them," she then gave Ryoga a friendly smile, "good luck," then walked over to a corner to sit.

"There's a girl who's own self-centeredness is going to get herself killed one of these days," said Ian, "mark my words."

"Don't you talk about Akane that way!" snapped Ryoga.

"Cad!" snapped Tatewaki.

"Who the hell are you calling a cad, you idiot!" snapped Felicia.

"Don't call my brother an idiot!" snapped Kodatchi, "just because he is one, doesn't mean you can make fun of him!"

"You want to make something of this, psycho?" Felicia asked threateningly as she pulled out a pair of foot long sticks made of heavy oak.

"Any time, infidel!" snapped Kodatchi as she pulled out a pair of gymnastic clubs.

"Stop it! All of you!" snapped Kairi, "we're supposed to be friends here!"

"She's right," said Sora, "we shouldn't let things like this make us fight like this."

There was a tense moment as the assembled young fighters tried to back down, and succeeded, "they're right, we shouldn't fight like this," said Ukyo, "not like wild animals."

"We're better than this," said Jean-Louise, "it's why the Heartstone Foundation set up this tournament in the first place; so young fighters can have make friends and have fun in a controlled environment."

"All the while beating each other to a friendly pulp," said Kyle, "so let's just give it our best and have fun."

"Fun," said Mousse, "I can do fun."

With that the fighters from Nermina went over to a different part of the waiting area, while Sora, Riku and Kairi remained with the others.

"That was tense," said Sora as he and everyone else sat down, "I really thought the tournament was going to start right here."

"Things may get ugly yet," said Adam, "I've seen some unreasonable people in my life, but those Nermia fighters, they're the limit."

"You think they were bad just now?" asked Ranma, "try living with them every day."

"You really have had it rough," said Sora, "I mean, you mother told us about the worst of your misfortunes, but…"

"But now you see my so called friends for what they really are," said Ranma.

Just then Jean-Louise, who had a bottle of water in her had, tripped over a lose floor tile and sent the bottle into the air. It fell on Ranma, splashing him with its cold contents. Instantly. Ranma was in his female form, or Ranma-chan.

"Oh for crying out loud!" exclaimed Ranma-chan.

"_Je suis désolé ainsi! _I'm so sorry!" said a frantic Jean-Louise, "it was an accident! I'll go get some hot water!"

"I don't think I'll ever be used to see a boy change into a girl like that," said Kyle.

"At least you're not running away in terror," said Ranma-chan as she used a nearby towel to dry her hair.

"I've seen a few bizarre things in my time, don't you know," said Kyle.

"I too have had some strange experiences in my life," said Adam, "one of which involved fighting this horrible creature made of living darkness."

"You fought a creature of living darkness?" a surprised Felicia asked, "I fought one to! When was this? Six months ago?"

"Approximately six months ago," said Adam.

"I also fought a dark creature six months ago," said a now clearly shaken Kyle.

"Same with me," said Julia, while Ian nodded in agreement.

Cautiously, Sora brought out his sketchpad and opened it to a picture of a Neo Shadow, "was it something like this?"

"Almost," said Adam as he looked at the picture, "the thing I fought was taller and more robust, and had a red hue to its dark body."

"The one I fought was like that as well," said Ian, while Julia, Felicia and Kyle nodded in agreement.

"Why do you have your sketchpad with you?" Kairi asked Sora.

"Just in case we run into situations like this," said Sora, "where someone we know already knows about The Heartless."

"This is weird," said Riku, "in more than one way. There shouldn't be any Heartless on this world at all, none that strong that is."

"What's a Heartless?" Ranma-chan asked.

"It's a long story," said Kairi.

Just then Jean-Louise came back with a thermos full of hot water. She handed the thermos to Ranma-chan, then saw the drawing of the Neo Shadow, "_Qu'est-ce que?_ That looks like a creature I encountered six months ago!"

"You to?" said a shocked Julia.

"This is most perplexing," said Adam, "why is it that the six of us had similar encounters with Heartless at roughly the same time?"

"And why did they show up then?" Kyle asked, "why would creatures of darkness attack us?"

"How do you know about The Heartless?" Kairi asked.

"What are Heartless?" Ranma, now back in his male form, asked.

Just then a tournament official came over, saying that the matches were about to start.

"Just relax, Kairi," said Sora, seeing her nervous again.

"I'm alright," said Kairi. She took several more calming breaths, "I'm ready."

"Same here," said Riku.

"Me to," said Sora. He looked at Ranma, Adam, Kyle, Jean-Louise, Julia, Ian and Felicia, "good luck out there."

"Same to you," said Ranma, while Adam, Kyle, Jean-Louise, Julia, Ian and Felicia also wished Sora, Riku and Kairi good luck.

Unknown to our heroes and their friends, Hades and Ursula, still in their disguises, had their Heartless fighter already ready to crush every opponent sent against him.

* * *

The VIP seats of the area had everything a Very Important Person could want when watching an event; very comfortable chairs, a wide variety of snacks, a state of the art sound system so that the viewers could hear every gritty sound made by the fighters.

Wearing a sports coat and tie, which he made sure was clean under his father's supervision, Jackson Stewart showed his ticket to the security personal and found his seat.

"Oh wow!" said Jackson as he took in the sights of the arena, "this is going to be great!"

"It sure will be," said a familiar voice.

"Oh yeah," said Jackson, not recognizing the voice just yet, "this tournament was totally worth cleaning my room for two months!"

"And here I thought you'd never get your pig-pen straightened up," said the familiar voice.

"Well it was worth it," said Jackson. He then recognized the voice. He looked down a bit and saw his nemesis, Rico, "what are you doing here!"

"I could ask the same thing," said Rico in a smug tone, "so, what else did a loser like you have to do to get VIP tickets to the biggest martial arts tournament of the year?"

"I did plenty of stuff," said Jackson in a slightly hesitant tone, "which is none of your business, thank you very much. And just what did you do to get your ticket? Well?"

"I bought it with my own money," said Rico, "which I made with my own two hands."

"Still ripping off people on the beach," said Jackson.

"And loving every second of it," said Rico as he smiled wickedly, "on the other hand, I could have asked my dad for a ticket, and he would have given it to me."

"I'll be he would," said Jackson, "you're such an evil little creep."

"That's not the reason," said an offended Rico, but then he grinned wickedly again, "although, it would have been a good reason." He then laughed wickedly.

Just then Jake walked over, "hey, Jackson." he said in a casual tone.

"Hey, Jake," said Jackson in an equally casual tone.

"That's Jake Ryan," said a shocked Rico. He then grabbed Jackson by the sleeve of his coat, "how's a no-talent loser like you know a Hollywood superstar like Jake Ryan?"

"I dated his sister," said Jake as he sat down in one of the comfy chairs.

"He did," said Jackson.

This gave Rico some pause before he spoke, "that's a good reason."

Jackson then noticed that his father, wearing the usual hat and moustache, was sitting right behind him, as well as Lilly, as Lola, and Oliver, as Mike.

Jackson then mouthed, 'thank you so much!' to Robbie Ray.

'Just keep your room clean,' mouthed Robbie Ray.

Aiden, also wearing a sports coat and tie, was then shown to his seat, which happened to be next to Jake. "You know," he said, not knowing just who he was talking to, "I would have been down there with the other fighters."

"You were in the tournament?" Jake asked, "what happened?"

"A ring out in the last round of the prelims," said Aiden, "But my friends made it to the finals."

"I'll be sure to cheer them on," said Jake.

It was then that the announcer walked onto the ring, a large stone circle about two feet high and 30 feet across. "Ladies and gentlemen, fight fans across the world. Let the tournament begin!"

The audience then let out a huge cheer.

Over at the commentators table, Hannah sat between the two regular commentators.

"This is Hank Reiaz, your eager commentator, coming to you live from The Tournament of Light. With me is my usual partner in grime, Lisa Evens!"

"And with us for this extravaganza of extravaganzas," said Lisa Evans, "is none other than teen pop superstar, Hannah Montana!"

"Glad to be here, Hank, Lisa," said Hannah, "you guys are the best sport announcers in teen sports, and I'm really happy to be on the air with you two."

"Witty and cute," said Hank, "love your music, Hannah."

"You're an inspiration to us all, Hannah," said Lisa, "and now the fighters are assembling in the ring, where the referee will explain the rules."

* * *

"Okay, you cool cats," said the referee, "I want a good, clean tournament. Here are the rules; each match will last five minutes. You have that long to either knock your opponent unconscious, force him or her out of the ring, or make him or her submit. Now, there's no hitting in the crotch, no eye gouging, no ear pulling or biting. There are no edged weapons allowed, only wooden and plastic weapons with blunt ends, or if you use that sort of thing, cloth.

"If you fall to the ground, you have till the count of 10 to get back up. If you fall out of the ring, you're eliminated. If you want to give up, either say 'I give up,' 'I submit,' 'I surrender,' or 'I forfeit.' Tapping the floor can also count as submitting.

"If I say to stop the fight, the fight stops, end of discussion. If I see anyone breaking the rules, you're outa here. Is that understood?"

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ranma and the other fighters nodded in agreement.

"Then let's all have a good, clean and fun tournament," said the referee.

On the far end of the arena a giant screen lit up with the tournament brackets.

"I'm up first," said Jean-Louise as she smiled eagerly.

"Good luck," said Sora.

"I don't need luck," said Jean-Louise, "I was born lucky!"

She faced a Karate fighter from St. Petersburg. They bowed to the referee, to their teachers, and to each other.

"Let's get it on!" shouted the referee, while a huge bell was struck, signaling the start of the match.

Jean-Louise immediately took the advantage by delivering a short left jab to her opponent's face, followed by a left kick to his midsection, then finished the combo with a right hook. She then dodged a body punch aimed at her, then got out of the way of a high kick.

She countered with a left kick to his right thigh, right above the kneecap. Caught off balanced, the Russian fighter went to the ground, but he got back up before the referee could start counting.

Jean-Louise then rushed at her opponent, distracting him with a false punch to the face, while actually getting her right foot under his left ankle, sweeping him off his feet. He feel to the floor hard and didn't get back up until the count of '3!'

But then Jean-Louise delivered another false punch, covering a kick to his midsection. She then backed up a bit for a roundhouse kick to his head, knocking him to the floor again.

"Sweet momma!" said Hannah, "that's got to hurt!"

The referee then declared a TKO, ending the fight.

The audience went wild as the referee held up Jean-Louise's hand up, declaring her the winner.

"You were awesome!" said Sora to Jean-Louise as she went back to the fighters area.

"Fantastic!" said Kyle.

"I was alright," said Jean-Louise, "not too shabby I might say."

"Well, you're in the next round," said Riku, "and that's awesome."

"Look who's fighting next," said Julia, "that idiot Ryoga."

"I wonder if he'll actually make it to the ring without getting lost?" Ranma asked.

"Just try and stop me, Ranma!" snapped Ryoga as he stood up to walk to the ring, "how can I get lost when it's right in front of me." But before he took two steps, he turned in the opposite direction and began wandering all over the arena. It took him five minutes before he actually got to the ring.

"You folks at home have to see this to believe it," said Hank.

"I've seen some strange things in my time," said Hannah, "some senseless people, but this boy here definitely doesn't have the sense the good lord gave a hunk of turkey jerky."

"Someone needs to fix that guy's internal gyroscope," said Lisa.

Eventually Ryoga made it to the ring and faced his opponent, a Brazilian Jujitsu fighter from Rio. But as the fight began, it was clear that Ryoga was upset over more than just his lack of direction. But that didn't give him a disadvantage in the fight. Instead, he knocked his opponent out of the ring with just one punch, making Ryoga the winner.

"Oh damn," said an irate Jean-Louise, "I get to fight the moody one in the next round."

"I've got the feeling that Ryoga was holding back somewhat," said Riku.

"Trust me, he was," said Ranma, "a lot of us are going to be holding back. If we really wanted to, we could seriously hurt each other."

"I think you're right," said Kairi.

"My turn," said Sora eagerly as he stood up to walk to the ring.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Kairi asked.

"Simple," said Sora, "it's not my first tournament."

"Oh, right," said Kairi.

"You'll have to tell us about that sometime," said Kyle.

In the VIP seats, Aiden cheered loudly as Sora walked into the ring.

"Friend of yours?" Jake asked.

"The best of friends," said a grinning Aiden, "he saved my life you know."

"Doing what?" Rico asked, "saving you from a bunch of girl scouts?"

"Don't listen to him," said Jackson, "he gets cranky when he misses his feeding time."

"Ignore him," said Rico, "he's a brainless idiot who couldn't even last one semester in in a major college."

"Oh give it a rest, you two," said an annoyed Jake, "just keep your attention on the fights."

"Especially my friend Sora," said a grinning Aiden, "he's got this match one flat down."

Sora found himself facing a girl from Savanna, Georgia, whom wielded a Kusarigama, a length of chain with a hand scythe on one end and a led weight on the other. In this case, the metal chain was replaced with a polymer one and the scythe and weight were made of wood.

But that's not what intimidated Sora the most. This girl had a very alluring face and figure. She batted her eyes seductively at Sora, "say, handsome, how about you let this match slide? I could make it worth your wile if you let me win."

_:Bad idea, man:_ said Roxas, _:don't let her mojo get to you.:_

_:And don't let Kairi know that this tramp is trying to get under your skin,: _said Naminé.

:_I already know,: _said an irate Kairi. Sora looked and saw just how angry she was. But he gave an assuring smile.

_:I've got a handle on this, Kairi, trust me.:_ he winked at her, then faced his opponent, "if you think I'm a sucker for a pretty face, then you've got another thing coming."

The girl glared daggers at Sora, "alright then, if my charm won't work, we'll just have to do this the hard way." She tightened her grip on her kusarigama, "I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"In your dreams!" said Sora as he hefted his wooden Keyblade.

"Let's get it on!" shouted the referee, while the big bell rang.

The girl then swung the scythe of her weapon around her head, creating a radius of protection that Sora couldn't get past. She then took several steps forward, forcing Sora back from the swinging scythe.

She then swung the scythe at Sora's arm, intending to ensnare him and pull him in.

Sora dodged the hook attack, then rushed in to attack. He then feinted to the left and tried to get behind her. But the girl pulled the chain back and threw it towards Sora, nearly tripping him on it. She then threw the weighted end at Sora, but he blocked it with his Keyblade.

The girl then swung the weighted end of the chain and threw it at Sora. It caught itself around the wooden Keyblade and she yanked back with the chain, trying to pull the Keyblade out of Sora's hands.

Sora held on tight to his Keyblade, then used one hand to grab onto the chain and tried to pull her forward. But instead she let the chain go slack, causing Sora to nearly lose balance.

This was all the girl needed to get hold of her chain again and pull Sora's Keyblade out of his hands. He reached forward to summon it back, but then remembered that this wasn't his real Keyblade.

The girl then swung the scythe end of her chain at Sora, trying to hook him again. He dodged it and rolled to the left, only to be hit by the weight end of the chain on his shoulder, forcing him to the floor hard.

"Get up Sora!" shouted Aiden, "don't let this tramp beat you! Get up!"

After a 4 count, Sora was back on his feet. He then rushed headlong at the girl, startling her enough for him to feint and roll, thereby picking up his Kyeblade. He then threw a Strike Raid at the girl, hitting her in the side hard enough to send her off balance and she tripped over he own feet, falling out of the ring.

"Ring out!" declared the referee.

The audience went wild.

"You were awesome!" said Kairi as she flung her arms around Sora when he got back to the seats.

"That was a tough match," said Sora, "but it was alright."

"That was the easiest part of the finals, my friend," said Kyle, "trust me, things are going to get worse from here on out."

"I told you he'd win!" said a very happy Aiden.

"Lucky round," said Rico, "that's all. Your friend won't make it past the next one."

"I'll bet he will," said Aiden.

"I'll take that bet," said Rico. He then pulled out a huge wad of cash, "how does $5,000 sound to you?"

"I don't like carrying so much cash in public," said Aiden, "but," he pulled out of his pocket a piece of gold he transmuted froma base metal earlier, "how does this sound to you?" He handed the piece to Rick so he could know it was real.

Rico made sure it was real by feeling the texture of the gold piece, its weight and color, how it shone in the bright lights of the arena, and then he smelled and tasted it, "it's pure alright, nearly a full ounce. Where'd you get it?" he then handed the piece back to Aiden.

"Can you keep a secret?" Aiden asked.

"Of course," said Rico.

"So can I," said Aiden as he pocketed the piece, "I'd say that piece alone was worth nearly a thousand dollars, and I have access to more, much more, enough to cover the bet, or any other bets you want to make."

"Alright then," said Rico, "we'll start here. I'll wager $5,000 in cash that your friend Sora loses in the next round."

"And I'll put up the same amount in gold that he wins," said Aiden.

"You've got a bet," said Rico. He and Aiden then shook hands.

"I'd back out now," said Jackson, "this guy here," he pointed at Rico, then whispered, "he's a demon child."

"Oh come on," said an annoyed Rico, "I'm not that evil." he then grinned wickedly, "or am I?" he then laughed wickedly.

"Don't try to psyche me out, kid," said Aiden, "I've seen things and done things that would put you in an early grave."

"Oh really," said Rico.

"Really," said Aiden.

"Prove it," said Rico.

"Later," said Aiden.

"You'll have to wait to continue bantering," said Jake.

The next round began, featuring Tatewaki Kuno against a fencing prodigy from Lisbon, Spain. The Spanish fencer fought brilliantly, but then the male Kuno proved that he truly was worthy of his many nicknames, by disarming his opponent and delivering a brutal barrage of sword strikes that forced the Spaniard to surrender.

"Well look at that," said Rico as the referee declared Tatewaki Kuno the winner of the match, "looks like your friend has his work cut out for him in the next round."

"That Kuno idiot who thinks Hannah Montana is a slut?" Aiden asked, "no way in hell is Sora gonna lose to him!"

"Darn right," said Jake, "and he is an idiot to think that those pictures of Hannah were real. Anyone with half a brain could tell that those photos were made on a computer."

"And the creep who made the pictures confessed," said Jackson.

"Well brains aside," said Rico, "that Kuno guy can kick some serious but. We'll see who cleans up in the next round."

"It would seem that we are fated to do battle on the morrow, Sora of the Island of Destiny," said Tatewaki Kuno as he walked past Sora and the others.

"You were awesome in the ring just now," said Sora, "I'll give you that."

"Then perhaps thou wilt be interested in a minor wager then," said Tatewaki, "whomever triumphs in our match shall have the honor of dating the fair Kairi."

"I beg your pardon!" exclaimed Kairi, "I thought we went over this the other night at the party; I Would Never Date you!"

"Such inner fiery passion!" said Tatewaki, "such energy, the likes of which I hath only seen in Akane Tendo and the Pig-tailed Girl! If only I were man enough for all three of the lovely ladies!"

_:He's fantasizing about you,:_ said Namine to Kairi, _:I don't need to read his mind to tell he's imagining you, Akane and Ranma-chan in a compromising situation with him.:_

Sora heard Naminé's words as well, but Kairi got to the idiot swordsman first. She slapped him hard across the face.

"Get this straight, you moron!" snapped Kairi, "if you ever even think about me in a way like that again, I'll make it so you never hold a sword again, got it!"

"Hath anyone said that thine eyes doth come alive with fire when though art wroth with rage?" the idiot swordsman asked.

"Flattery will get you nowhere fast," said Kairi, "just remember to keep me out of your head, or else."

"I'd leave her alone if I were you, Kuno," said Ranma, "she sounds serious."

"My thoughts exactly," said Ukyo as she headed for the ring. She faced a girl from Germany who fought with a wooden halberd, a three-bladed pole arm that was a spear, a pick and an axe all in one.

Sora, Riku and Kairi were impressed as Ukyo used her giant spatula to deflect the spear thrust, axe chops and pick strikes her opponent threw at her. Every time the German girl tried to use her halberd to trip Ukyo, she avoided it.

Ukyo then threw one of her smaller spatulas to distract her opponent, then used her big spatula to knock the girl to the floor hard enough to sprain her ankle. The referee asked if she was okay to continue, and she shook her head. The referee then declared Ukyo the winner.

"I knew you'd make it, Ucchan," said Ranma.

"Thanks, Ranma Honey," said Ukyo.

"You must really like her if you each have nicknames," said Kairi.

"Of course I like Ukyo," said Ranma, "she's my best friend. I wish she didn't treat me so possessively, but, yeah, she's alright."

Ian then spoke to Ukyo, "you wield those spatulas like you were born with them."

"I've been around spatulas my while life," said Ukyo, "it's an essential tool in the crafting of Okonomiyaki."

"I'll have to sample your crafting some day," said Ian.

Next up was Julia as she faced a Judo fighter from Kyoto. Before the match began, Julia warmed up by performing a complex set of movements that were almost like a dance of sorts.

"This is the Ram Muay," said Lisa, "in Muay Thai, it's a ritual in which the fighters pay their respect to their teachers, respect to any VIP's watching, and most of all, respect to God."

"Looks to me that Julia Eckhart has a lot of respect in her," said Hank.

The match began with the Judo user trying to grab and throw Julia to the floor and catch her in a submission hold, but Julia was too fast. She then knocked him down with an elbow strike to the head, but he got up before the count of 3.

She then delivered two knee strikes to his midsection, followed by a devastating uppercut that left him disoriented. Julia then finished with a lunging Cobra Punch that knocked him completely out cold. The referee declared the match a TKO.

"Wow," said Hannah, "that boy's been knocked more senseless than my Uncle Earl that time he tried to fight a boxing kangaroo."

"You know," said Hank, "In Muai Thai, a fighter earns more by using the Cobra Punch as a finishing move, and it's best used that way. If you try to use it when your opponent isn't disoriented, he could easily block it and set you up for a one way ticket to the mat."

"How's that for a slice of friend gold?" Julia asked Sora as she sat back down.

"I didn't know we were having cake," said Sora.

Next up was Adam Callahan as he faced another Kung Fu user, this one from Denver. The two fighters bowed and took up their stances.

The bell rang and the two fighters rushed at each, exchanging punches and kicks that were so fast it was hard to keep up with.

"We're gonna need a slow motion replay to see what's happening here, folks!" said Lisa.

"They're faster than a greased pig at a county fair!" said Hannah.

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Ranma didn't have any trouble keeping up with Adam and his opponent, and they weren't the only ones who could.

"He's a true Kung Fu master," said Cologne in an appreciative manner, "that Adam Callahan. The other one is no slouch either, but Adam is special, truly special," she looked at Ranma, "you watch out for that one, son-in-law, he is one who fights with his full heart."

"So do I, granny," said Ranma as he eagerly watched the fight, not daring to blink, "so do I."

Adam then delivered a blinding series of kicks that knocked his opponent down. The referee began counting and reached 10 while the other fighter was still trying to get up. Adam was declared the winner.

As the audience went wild, Adam helped his opponent get back up. Making sure the other fighter was alright, he and Adam bowed, then shook hands, congratulating each other on a great fight.

"That was _wúyingjiao,_ the 'no-shadow kick' technique," said an amazed Riku as Adam walked back to his seat.

"The signature move of Wong Fei Hung," said Adam as he sat down, "I should know, I've read every book and seen every movie about him."

"Wong Fei Hung was a living legend," said Ranma, "are you saying that you're trying to emulate him?"

"I'm saying that I derive my inspiration from a historical figure," said Adam, "maybe if you found someone inspiring, be they a past or present figure, you'd fight with as much passion."

At that Ranma was without words. But then he was told that his match was up. He faced a Karate user from Ontario, and won without breaking a sweat. But Sora and the others could tell that Ranma's heart wasn't in it.

"We've still got our work cut out for us," said Riku, "if we're going to restore Ranma's spirit."

"We may not get the chance," said Kairi, "Ranma's fighting Adam tomorrow. If anyone can surely break through Ranma's depression, it's Adam."

"I think you're right," said Sora.

Next up was Riku as he faced a Portuguese fencer, which Riku defeated in a brilliant display of swordsmanship.

"You go, Riku!" shouted Aiden as he and the audience cheered Riku's victory.

"Another friend of yours?" Jake asked.

"And he also saved my life," said Aiden. He then glared at Rico, "you want to bet on his match tomorrow to?"

"Let's see who he's fighting first," said Rico, "then we'll make a bet or not."

The next match involved Mousse and a Brazilian Jujitsu user. Mousse defeated his opponent by using a wide variety of blunt weapons he pulled out of his sleeves, eventually knocking the Jujitsu fighter out of the ring.

"That guy with the glasses," said Jackson, "he's got more tricks up his sleeve than a magician on Halloween."

"I'd say he's an even match for your friend," said Rico, "so, how does another $5,000 say?" he pulled out another wad of cash.

"You put up the cash cash," said Aiden, "and I'll put up the gold."

"You've got yourself another bet," said Rico.

Kodatchi defeated her opponent by knocking him unconscious with a well thrown gymnastic club. She leapt from the ring with a victorious laugh, somersaulting in midair and landing perfectly, causing an explosive cheering from the audience.

"Once again my sister hath wooed the masses with her flamboyant style," said Tatewaki.

"And what's wrong with being flamboyant?" Kodatchi asked as she sat down, "if you got it, flaunt it."

"I find that statement hard to argue with," said Felicia as she got ready for her match, "sometimes it is okay to show off, within reason."

"That's her!" exclaimed an irate Aiden as Felicia got into the ring with a Karate user from Chicago, "that's the girl who knocked me out of the tournament!"

"Really," said a wickedly smiling Rico, "well then, this is getting interesting."

"Oh, and things were boring up until now?" Jackson asked.

"Well they're certainly interesting now," said Jake.

Using her oak sticks, Felicia delivered one strike after another that left her opponent hurt but still in the fight.

"She's just playing with him," said Ranma, "anyone with half a brain can tell."

"I think Felicia's trying to get her opponent mad enough to make a mistake," said Sora.

_:You're not wrong,:_ said Roxas.

Felicia then struck her opponent hard in the left shoulder, temporally paralyzing it. But then the Karate user used a leg sweep that tripped Felicia to the floor, causing her to drop her sticks. The Karate fighter then tried to kick her while she was down, but she rolled out of the way and got back up.

Her opponent threw a right cross at Felicia. Felicia checked the punch, then grabbed his left arm in a way that locked his elbows over each other. Felicia then twisted the locked arms in a twisting manner, throwing him to the floor.

She backed away to give him a chance to get back up, "Is that all? And here I thought this would be hard."

Felicia's opponent then rushed at her headlong. She got out of the way, then positioned herself to grab his right wrist with her left hand, while placing her right forearm between his neck and arm and forced it up, creating an incredible amount of pressure on his neck. He collapsed to the ground and tapped out.

"And that's how we do things in Boston," said Felicia as the referee declared her the winner.

"Damn!" spat Aiden, "I'd hoped she'd lose!"

"Better luck next time," said a wickedly smiling Rico.

"So now what?" Jackson asked.

Aiden saw the tournament bracket sign, "It's Kairi's turn next"

"Another friend of yours?" Rico asked, "Care to place another bet?"

"Never mind that," said Aiden, "Kairi's opponent is that Chinese Amazon girl."

"And that's bad?" Jackson asked.

"It can be," said Jake, "I heard that Chinese Amazons are deeply rooted in their traditions. If a girl outsider beats a warrior of the tribe, that warrior is honor bound to kill the offending outsider."

"No," said Aiden, "I'm not worried about that. Sora told me that Shampoo promised to forgo 'the kiss of death' if she loses, but that doesn't mean she won't give it her all. I'm worried that Kairi's in for one raw deal."

"I know you can do this," said Sora to Kairi, "I believe in you!"

"All the way to the semifinals," said Riku.

"Good luck," said Julia, "you'll need it."

"Don't underestimate Shampoo," said Ranma, "she's a lot tougher than her pretty face suggests."

"I'm more than meets the eye myself," said Kairi, "but thanks for the warning." She gave everyone a reassuring smile, then spoke to Sora mentally, _:I'll be alright, trust me.:_

_:I trust you,: _said Sora.

_:She'll be alright,: _said Roxas.

_:My Somebody is invincible!: _said Naminé.

As Kairi walked to the ring, she saw Shampoo talking with her great-grandmother, Cologne. The matriarch of the Amazon tribe was giving Shampoo detailed pep talk in Chinese. Shampoo nodded in acknowledgement, then walked towards the stage.

But then Mousse popped in front of her, with his glasses off, "I know you can win, Shampoo! I believe in you!" Shampoo merely walked past him, while Mousse put his glasses on and realized he was talking to a total stranger in the audience.

"Mousse is dumb as ever," said Shampoo.

"Why do you treat him like that?" Kairi asked as they both entered the ring, "anyone with half a brain can see that that boy is completely devoted to you."

"Mousse is okay boy," said Shampoo, "but he be stupid. Always forgetting to put glasses on and talks to other people and other things, thinking they Shampoo. He always like that, and Shampoo think it stupid he be that way for so long, so Shampoo wants nothing to do with Mousse."

"So you're letting one fault get in the way of a beautiful friendship?" Kairi asked, "so Mousse is forgetful when it comes to his glasses. So what? If you could get past that, you'd see just how much love he has for you. I'd guess he'd take a bullet for you."

"Shampoo no need anyone to take bullet for her," said the purple-haired Amazon, "Shampoo just dodge bullet and take down shooter. Shampoo no need stupid Mousse when she has Ranma to marry."

"You keep saying that Mousse is an idiot," said Kairi, "but the real fool here is you."

"What Kairi say?" Shampoo demanded.

"I said you are a fool!" exclaimed Kairi.

_:What are you doing!: _Naminé demanded, _:why are you antagonizing a Chinese Amazon? Do you have a death wish or something?:_

_:I know what I'm doing,:_ said Kairi, _:trust me.:_

"Has your friend blown a gasket or something?" Kyle asked, "terrible things happen to those who upset Amazon warriors."

"Kairi knows what she's doing," said Sora, "I hope."

"I hope so to," said Riku.

"Why you say Shampoo is fool!" Shampoo demanded.

"If you have to ask," said Kairi as she hefted her wooded Keyblade, "then you really are a fool."

"Kairi girl make big mistake making Shampoo mad!" snapped the purple-haired Amazon as she hefted her war clubs.

"Let's get it on!" shouted the referee, while the big bell rang.

Shampoo then rushed at Kairi, intending to knock her unconscious with one strike. Kairi blocked the war clubs, then struck forward with her Keyblade, which Shampoo blocked with her clubs.

A pattern formed; one would attack, while the other blocked, then the roles would reverse and then reverse again.

"I'd say they were evenly matched," Adam, "their weapons skills are just about equal. They may go the distance."

"If they both last the whole five minutes," said Julia, "then the match will be judged on who each of them did in the fight."

But then Kairi feinted to the left and disarmed Shampoo of her clubs. The purple-haired Amazon didn't try to grab her clubs, but instead took up a stance with her hands outstretched.

"Oh this is bad," said Ranma as Kairi and Shampoo cautiously circled each other.

"How's it bad?" Sora asked.

"Shampoo knows several Shiatsu techniques that involve touching multiple pressure points on the head. If she uses the right combination of pressure points, she could damage Kairi's memory to the point of total amnesia."

"That's bad alright," said Riku.

Not caring that it could be considered cheating, Sora mentally warned Kairi, _:Don't let Shampoo touch your head! She can make you forget things!:_

_:Right!: _said Kairi. She then backed away a few paces. But then Shampoo leapt at Kairi, her hands aiming for Kairi's head. Kairi raised her Keyblade to block, but Shampoo smashed through the wooden blade with a single punch. The midsection of the Keyblade was completely shattered, the top six inches falling to the floor, while the bottom six inches were still attached to the handle.

Kairi rolled out of the way as Shampoo tried to touch her cranial pressure points. Still holding the broken Keyblade, Kairi rolled out of the way again and again. She then saw the top part of her Keyblade and grabbed it.

She then threw both pieces at Shampoo, distracting the purple-haired Amazon enough for Kairi to deliver a left cross to her face. Kairi tried to follow up with a right hook, but Shampoo grabbed her wrist and forced it back.

Still holding onto her wrist, Shampoo reached for Kairi's head with her free hand. Kairi grabbed Shampoo's wrist before the purple-haired Amazon could touch her. The two of them stood their, grappling with their hands and arms.

"It's now a contest of strength, boys and girls!" said Lisa, "it all comes down to who wants it the most!"

"Kairi wants it the most," said Hannah, "But from where I'm sittin', Shampoo's the stronger."

Kairi knew she was in trouble, for Shampoo was clearly physically stronger. She tried as hard as she could, but Kairi was losing the struggle to keep Shampoo from touching her head.

But then Kairi got her foot against Shampoo's leg and tripped her. Shampoo fell to the ground, but she held onto Kairi and took her down as well. They were both near the edge of the ring and both fell out.

The audience held their breath as the two girls hit the floor outside of the ring.

"A double ring out, folks!" shouted Hank.

"No," said Lisa, "Kairi hit the floor first!"

"I saw Shampoo hit the ground first," said Hannah.

Several tournament officials reviewed the last few seconds of the match on a slow motion screen and determined that Kairi hit the ground a fraction of a second before Shampoo did. The later was then declared the winner of the match.

The audience then cheered loudly.

"Oh damnit," said Aiden in a depressed tone.

"Tough luck, my friend," said Rico, "looks like I'll be cleaning up really nice now."

"You didn't make a bet on that fight," said Jake.

"Next time then," said Rico.

"I can believe this," said a dumbfounded Sora, "how did Kairi lose?"

"Simple physics, I guess," said Riku.

"It's not her fault," said Nodoka, "they both had equal chances of winning, Kairi and Shampoo."

"Fate just happened to shine on my great-granddaughter," said Cologne.

Meanwhile, Kairi was congratulating Shampoo as they headed back to the others, "you were awesome just now. If we didn't fall out of the ring, you would have won anyway."

"Kairi no slouch either," said Shampoo, "you make great Amazon."

"I'm not that special," said a slightly blushing Kairi.

"Yes you are," said a smiling Shampoo, "Kairi is great fighter with pure heart. Shampoo is glad to have met Kairi, and Shampoo would be happy if Shampoo and Kairi were friends."

"I'd like that," said Kairi, "I'd like us to be friends. But remember what I said; just because someone has a fault, a big one in this case, doesn't mean he's any less of a friend." She gestured towards Mousse, whom was trembling with excitement over. "A wise person once told me that the signs of true love can easily be seen, if you know what to look for."

Kairi then shouted, "Hey, Mousse! Get over here and congratulate your fellow Amazon already! And make sure your glasses are on, for crying out loud!" she then looked at Shampoo, "remember and think about what I said."

Kairi then walked back to Sora and Riku, leaving Shampoo to be hounded by Mousse as the myopic male Amazon spouted praise after praise on how great Shampoo was. But the purple-haired Amazon was indifferent to Mousse's words as she did indeed think about what Kairi said.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked.

"Actually, I am alright," said Kairi as she sat down, "now that I'm out of the tournament, I feel relieved somewhat, like I don't feel like the whole world is watching me anymore."

"As long as you gave it your all," said Riku.

Cologne then hopped over on her stick, "I'm impressed, young one," she said to Kairi, "not many people are aware of the Shiatsu techniques my great-granddaughter is familiar with."

"I was warned beforehand," said Kairi, while she mentally sent Sora her thanks, "Your great-granddaughter was awesome. I can see why you're so proud of her. Even though I lost the match, I won something more important; friendship."

"I'm glad you and Shampoo became friends," said Cologne, "and it would seem that you managed to salvage another friendship."

Sora and the others saw Shampoo and Mousse walking back to the seats. True enough, Shampoo was being more cordial to Mousse now.

"They're actually talking nicely to each other," said an amazed Ukyo. She looked at Kairi, "what did you say to her?"

"Only the truth," said Kairi, "maybe now she'll realize just what she's been missing."

"Maybe she'll finally get off of my back and pester duck-boy for a change," said Ranma.

"Not likely, son-in-law," said Cologne, "even though young Kairi has rekindled a friendship between Shampoo and Mousse, it is highly unlikely that my great-granddaughter will ever view Mousse as more than that, a friend. Her heart is set on you, and one way or another, she will have you as a husband."

Sora then saw Nodoka tense up, as if she wanted to march right up to Cologne and shout 'over my dead body,' but Nodoka held her silence, for she knew that if Ranma was going to take charge of his life, he would have to do so with as little interference from his mother as possible.

Ian then stood up, "my turn next! Time to show the world just what this old Texan can do!" he eagerly jogged to the ring, while his opponent, the silent Tom Smith, calmly walked to the ring.

"Just who is that guy Ian is facing?" Jean-Louise asked, "I've never seen him before the tournament."

"Me neither," said Kyle, "what's his style?"

"I don't know," said Julia, "his statistics on the tournament website didn't have much to say, just 'freestyle.' But what freestyle?"

"We're about to find out," said Riku.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Adam, "I don't know why, but I feel that that fighter Ian's facing is dangerous."

"I feel that way as well," said Julia, "it's like….I don't know how to describe it."

"Like he's a person with no moral values at all," said Kyle.

"Something like that," said Jean-Louise, while Felicia nodded in agreement.

"I don't sense anything form that guy," said Sora, indicating Tom Smith, "anything at all. It's like he's not even there."

"I fell that way too," said Kairi, "like he's not even a real person."

"I also sense an emptiness where that guy is," said Riku, "but what does it mean?"

Still disguised, Hades and Ursula smiled smugly as their Heartless fighter entered the ring, "that Texan kid is in for one rude awakening if he thinks he can defeat our champ," said Hades.

"The country-boy is doomed for sure," said Ursula, "but my eye is on a few others that could be a problem," she looked first at Ranma, then Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse and the others from Nermia who fought already, "they're tough, but with a few adjustments to our champ, they won't be a problem,

"Which will leave us free to focus on our other mission. You see those kids?" she pointed to Ryoga, Tatewaki and Kodatchi, "all three of them have a lot of darkness in their hearts, darkness that can be cultivated with the right words. And there's the other poor unfortunate souls who lost today, and all the thousands who lost in the preliminaries. A lot of them are still in the city, all of them feeling pretty angry that they lost."

"I think old green flames back in New Hollow Bastion is going to get exactly what she wants soon enough," said Hades, "soon as we're done with this Texan kid, we'll go harvest some dark hearts, starting with the saps who lost in the prelims. Those three," he pointed to Ryoga and the Kuno siblings, "they'll require a lot of work."

"I have the utmost confidence in your abilities," said a sarcastic Ursula, "but leave them to me just the same. I'll bring them over to the darkness. I'll simply make them offers they cannot refuse."

Ian then bowed cheerfully to his opponent, but Tom Smith merely nodded his head.

"What's the matter, bucko?" Ian asked, "cat got your tongue?" the other fighter just stood there.

"Oh, not much to say?" Ian then took up his fighting stance, while Tom Smith did the same, "well then, prepare for a good ol' fashion Texas Throw Down!"

The big bell rang and the match started. Ian moved in to deliver several body punches and kicks aimed at Tom Smith's head, but the other fighter simply blocked and dogged and blocked them, all the while staying on the defensive and not attacking at all.

"What's with this guy?" Ryoga asked, "he's not striking back."

"Either he's really dumb," said Ukyo, "or really smart."

"The old rope-a-dope?" Kyle asked, "he's letting Ian wear himself out?"

"Possibly," said Tatewaki, "who knows what this mysterious warrior is capable of."

"Whatever he can do," said Kodatchi, "I don't like him. Don't ask me why, I just don't like him at all."

"I don't like him either," said Mousse, "there's just something wrong about him."

Ian then switch from Karate to Judo. He grabbed Tom Smith by his black gi and threw him to the floor. Ian then allowed Tom Smith to get up only to maneuver the other fighter into a submission hold that had Ian legs across the other fighter's chest and his arm bent back over Ian's body.

"Tap out, my friend!" said Ian as he bent Tom Smith's arm back at the elbow, threatening to do some serious damage, "tap out or you'll be sorry."

Just then, the until now silent Tom Smith began laughing. There was something terrible about his laugh, something that spoke of dark and horrible things. The dark laughter sent a chill right down Sora's spine and the spines of nearly everyone else watching.

Tom Smith then bent his arm forward against Ian's backwards pull. Displaying incredible physical strength, the other fighter broke out of Ian's submission hold. The two of them got back up, only to have Ian receive a quadruple punch combination to his face that knocked him to the floor.

"Get up, Ian!" shouted Felicia as the referee began counting.

"Get up!" shouted Ukyo, "don't let this jerk win!"

Ian managed to get back to his feet by the 8 count. The referee checked to make sure he was alright, then signaled that the fight should continue. Immediately, Ian received four more punches, followed by a high kick to the side of his head. He went down again and didn't get back up until it was almost too late.

He was severely bruised on his face, while the side of his head was bleeding slightly. The referee asked if Ian was sure he could continue. Ian smiled and said he was alright. The referee signaled for the fight to continue, but a mere fraction of a second later, Ian was knocked down again from an 8 punch and kick combination. The referee then declared a TKO

The audience was briefly stunned by the sheer brutality inflicted on Ian, but they clapped regardless.

"I've seen some harsh beatings in a lot of tournaments," said Hank, "but this takes the cake."

"The cake and pie," said Hannah, "what's with that guy? It's like he had more fun beating the snot out of Ian Donovan than the match itself."

"I don't know," said Lisa, "but everyone else left in the tournament is gonna have their hands full with this guy."

"That was a close one," said Hades as he and Ursula escorted the now silent Heartless fighter back to the seating area, "his personality almost broke through our control."

"And that's bad?" Ursula asked.

"No," said a sarcastic Hades, "he'll emerge a pretty little butterfly floating on the wind. Of course it's bad! This guy was so vile and despicable in life that his own universe kicked his soul out and threw it into ours. He was a real manic as a human, and don't get me started on how he was when he intentionally cursed himself in order to gain power, so imagine what he could do as a Heartless if we can't keep a leash on him."

"That's your department, hot stuff," said Ursula, "just leave everything else to me. I've a few dark hearts to visit later on, so I'd better get my schedule straight."

"We're still stuck together, prune-face," said Hades.

"Well then you'll just have to come with me then, hot stuff" said Ursula, while Hades grinded his teeth.

"That's the guy," said Rico as they watched Tom Smith leave the ring, "that's my pick for who will win the tournament!"

"I'm not surprised," said Jackson, "you both laugh with so much evil, you're probably related."

"Second or third cousins is my guess," said Jake.

"Laugh and bet all you want, shorty," said Aiden, "no way in hell are my friends gonna let that creep win this tournament."

"Care to back those words up with a bet?" Rico asked as he pulled out even more money.

"Man, where do you keep it all?" Jackson asked.

"You'd be surprised," said Rico. He then looked at Aiden, "so, are you in or out?"

"I've waisted enough of my gold betting against you already," said Aiden, "so put your greenbacks away."

"Alright," said Rico as he pocketed his cash again, "but we still have those two bets for tomorrow, so you'd better bring your gold."

"I'll bring it," said Aiden, "we'll see whose money goes where their mouth is."

"Is he alright?" Sora asked a several tournament medics looked over Ian. He was conscious now, just looking like he ad been thrown headfirst into a meat grinder.

The medics said that there was no danger, so Ian got up and walked out of the ring to a grateful audience. He acknowledged their praise of his well fought match.

"Dang," he said when he sat down next to Felicia, while Ukyo stood nearby, "I lost."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ukyo asked, "that maniac looked like he was trying to kill you."

"Never happen," said Ian, "but that guy was taking the fight way to far."

"I knew there was something wrong with that guy," said Ryoga, "if the referee didn't stop the fight, he would have killed Ian for sure."

"We need to be careful about this," said Riku, "that Tom Smith is dangerous."

"More than you realize," said Cologne, "I sensed a dark power in that fighter, a power that has transcended time and space. Whoever that fighter truly is, he's evil," she looked at Shampoo, "be very careful tomorrow, granddaughter, for you will fight him. Traditions aside, if you feel your life is in danger, do not hesitate to give up, even at the cost of your honor."

"Shampoo know," said the purple-haired Amazon in a serious tone.

"Wow, this is serious," said Ranma, "I've never heard the old bat tell Shampoo to give up on anything."

"Who cares about that?" Akane asked as she headed for the ring. Her match was next. She faced a Karate user from Miami, and won without breaking a sweat.

Sora, Riku and Kairi then realized that the motivation factor behind Akane's victory was the fact that her opponent was a boy. They remembered that Akane had an irrational hatred of boys in general, and they reasoned that was why Akane's attacks had so much power behind them.

The last to fight was Kyle as he faced and outwrestled a Judo user from London.

"Typical," said Kyle as he walked back to his seat after his stunning victory, all the while the audience cheered him loudly, "the best when last. And I'll be last again tomorrow," he looked at Akane, "we'll be facing each other in the ring, my dear. I hope you'll be ready."

"I'll be ready to clean your clock tomorrow, red-head!" said an irate Akane. She then glared at Ranma, "and you were no help either!"

"What the hell did I do to piss you off now?" Ranma asked.

"You're breathing!" Akane snapped. With that she stomped off out of the arena.

"You had no right to make Akane upset, Ranma!" snapped Ryoga.

"You take that back!" said Sora, "Ranma didn't do anything! It's Akane who has the problem! If she can't stand to be around Ranma, and if he doesn't like her either, then they should just end their relationship!"

"You…!" snapped Ryoga, "you…you don't understand!" With that he ran out of the arena.

"What the bloody hell is his problem?" Kyle asked.

"He's hopelessly infatuated with Akane Tendo," said Julia, "but he's too much of a coward to admit his feelings, so he takes his frustrations out on the one whom he hates the most."

At that Kairi sighed, "I thought I had helped him."

"Some people need more help than others," said Adam, "and some people simply refuse to be helped, even if it's for their own good. At least you tried, but that Ryoga Hibiki needs professional help and a lot of it."

"You're not kidding," said Ranma, he looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "you've given me a lot to think about, and I think I know what do to about some of my problems."

At that Sora, Riku, Kairi and Nodoka smiled hopefully.

"But those problems can wait until after the tournament," said Ranma, "I've got something bigger I want to talk about. Just what the hell are Heartless anyway?"

"I'd like to know that as well," said Ukyo.

"Shampoo is curious as well," said the purple-haired Amazon, while Mousse and the Kuno siblings nodded in agreement.

"I think we can settle this over lunch," said Julia, "I'm hungry enough to eat a whole pack of mangy dingos."

"You would eat a mangy dingo," said a disgusted Jean-Louise.

"If it's lunch you want," said Ukyo, "leave that to me. I have connections that will let me borrow the restaurant kitchen in my hotel. I'll whip us up an Okonomiyaki feast the likes of which you've never seen."

"Shampoo make ramen beyond wildest dreams," said the purple-haired Amazon, "make special batch for Ranma, we eat by candlelight."

"I'm the one who's making a special lunch for Ranma!" snapped Ukyo.

"Shampoo is!"

"I am!"

"Shampoo is!"

"I am!"

"Tenacious, aren't they?" said Kyle.

"You have no idea," said Ranma.,

"We've got our work cut out for us alright," said Sora.

"And that's it, boys and girls!" said Hank, "the first of the final rounds of the Tournament of Light are complete!"

"And here are the matches for the second round…!" said Lisa, "First up will be Jean-Louise De'arch vs. Ryoga Hibiki, followed by Sora Vs Tatewaki Kuno. Then we'll see Ukyo Kuonji vs. Julia Eckhart, then Adam Callahn vs. Ranma Saotome. Then it'll be Riku vs. Mousse and Shampoo vs. Tom Smith and lastly we'll have Akane Tendo vs. Kyle O'Harra!"

"I can hardly wait for tomorrow's throw down!" said Hannah.

**The end of chapter 5.**

Next chapter our heroes tell their new friends about The Heartless, then deal with the rigors of the second round of the tournament. Who will be victorious? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6: The Second Round

Last time found Sora, Riku and Kairi competing in the first of the final rounds of the tournament. Sora and Riku easily won their matches, but when Kairi faced the Amazon, Shampoo, she wound up losing, but also wound up winning a friendship. Ranma also won his match, as did the other Nermia weirdo's and the other martial artists that our heroes had become friends with, except for Ian who lost to Tom Smith, the Heartless disguised as a human.

At the same time, Aiden made friends with Miley's brother Jackson and her estranged boyfriend Jake, while becoming gambling rivals with the diabolical little creep Rico.

On another note, our heroes learned that Adam, Kyle, Felicia, Ian, Jean-Louise and Julia all encountered Heartless several months before. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 6: The Second Round**

"Mother of mercy!" said a shocked Kyle.

"_Le ciel aide nous tous!_" said Jean-Louise, "heaven help us all!"

"Those things we fought six months ago," said a deeply disturbed Julia, "those horrible dark creatures, they were real people once?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Riku. He, Sora and Kairi had just finished telling Adam, Kyle, Ian, Julia, Jean-Louise, Felicia, Ranma, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and the Kuno siblings about The Heartless; what they are, how they come to be and what they do. Also there was Nodoka and Cologne, while Aiden had just arrived as his friends finished their story.

"To think that there be monstrous creatures that emerge from the darkness within the human heart," said Tatewaki.

"And there are people who use these creatures to further their own evil gains?" Kodatchi asked, "And they say I am mad."

"Power corrupts," said Kairi, "and those whom have darkness in their hearts see The Heartless as another source of power."

"This sounds like something the old pervert would use," said Ranma, "if it would make Happosai stronger, he would use The Heartless."

"Well I'm glad that old freak is out of our hair for good," said Ukyo as she worked in half of the hotel kitchen she commandeered, preparing a feast of Okonomiyaki. The other half was occupied by Shampoo as she prepared a wide variety of ramen dishes.

"You're saying that you've been fighting these creatures for some time now," said Adam, "and that they destroyed this world?"

"They covered it in darkness," said Riku gravely, "one star in the universe went out that day."

"Impossible!" said Ian, "we're still here! How can the world be destroyed if we're still here?"

"When we sealed that first door to Kingdom Hearts," said Sora, "all the worlds in our universe that were covered in darkness were restored, including ours. Nobody remembered what happened, as if it didn't happened."

"They nearly destroyed my world," said Aiden, "and so many others, but we saved several worlds from the darkness."

"To think that I actually defeated someone from another world," said Felicia, "and that someone has battled more of those things, these Heartless."

"You just got lucky when you knocked me out of the ring," said an annoyed Aiden, "if that idiot hadn't flashed his camera at that second, I would have won, end of discussion."

"Sure you would have," said a sarcastic Felicia.

"Let me get this straight," said Ranma, "there are creatures of living darkness, called Heartless, made from hearts that were consumed by darkness. They seek out other hearts to fill them with darkness and make more of them, and they also seek out the hearts of worlds so they could be filled with darkness as well."

"So far so good," said Sora.

"And you guys," said Ranma, pointing at Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "you go around destroying Heartless and saving worlds from darkness," he pointed at Kairi, "you were from another world," he pointed at Aiden, "and you were from another universe."

"Still right," said Kairi, "I'm from a world called Radiant Garden, though I haven't back there since Sora rescued me from The Heartless over a year ago."

"We'll go there someday," said Sora, "I'd sure like to see how Leon, Yuffe, Cid, Cloud, Merlin and the others are doing."

"Isn't Cid still working on the Gummy Ship?" Riku asked.

"He must have fixed it by now," said Sora.

"Is this all true, mom?" Ranma asked Nodoka.

"I've never had any reason to doubt Sora, Riku, Kairi or Aiden," said Nodoka, "trust me when I say this; The Heartless are a real threat."

"I believed you blokes from the beginning," said Julia to Sora, "what with that thing, that Neo Shadow you called it, that attacked me six months ago."

"We were all attacked by a singular Heartless six months ago," said Adam, while Kyle, Jean-Louise and Ian nodded in agreement, "yet we all managed to defeat them."

"But not without difficulty," said Jean-Louise. She pulled up the cuff of her jeans and revealed a long scar across her left shin, "_cette abomination_, that thing that attacked me did this when I was one second too slow to respond. It cut me, but I kicked its head off."

"I got the one that attacked me in a choke hold," said Kyle, "and smashed its head against a brick wall. That blew the bugger away for sure." He then revealed a scar on his right shoulder, "but not before it did this to me."

"I was ambushed while walking home from a training session," said Felicia, "It tried to get the jump on me and did this," she held up her right forearm, revealing a scar, "but I showed that freaking monster a thing or two as I bashed its freaking brains in."

"I was out at Ayers Rock," said Julia, "if there's one place in the world where you can feel comfortable being alone with your thoughts, it's the Outback. Anyway, I was sitting on The Rock, thinking about what I would do during the tournament, when this thing, this Heartless, tried to claw me eyes out," she indicated the scar below her left eye, "I threw it off the Rock and it dissolved into smoke when it hit the ground below."

"I was at home when I was attacked," said Ian, "I sensed that I wasn't alone, but I was too late to stop it from doing this to me," he showed a scar on the back of his neck, "but I wound up pinning that abomination to the floor and breaking it in half."

Andrew then showed a scar on theback of his right hand "I was too was at home when I was attacked," said Adam, "the creature struck while I was meditating, and it came close to destroying me. I admit that I was afraid, terrified, by this living darkness that seemed to hunger for my soul. I was backed into a corner and the thing nearly had me, but then I remembered what my teachers said about fear, that you can either allow it to destroy you, or you can face and master it. I chose the later and destroyed my would-be executioner."

"Such fantastic tales," said Tatewaki, "if anyone else were to speak such words, surely they would be declared lunatics."

"At the time I thought I was going mad," said Kyle.

"You're just as sane as the rest of us," said Kodatchi.

"I don't find that very reassuring," said Kyle.

"We all doubt our sanity at some point or another," said Jean-Louise, "yet what happened to us was very real."

"I'd believe you more if I saw those things, those Heartless, myself," said Mousse.

"It'd be easier if you'd put your glasses on first," said Aiden.

Mouse did put his glasses back on and realized he was talking to a fish tank.

"Anyway, you fought off those things by yourselves?" Aiden asked Adam and the others, "without Keyblades?"

"What are Keyblades?" Ukyo asked as she and Shampoo brought several large plates of mouthwatering food in. All conversation stopped as the Okonomiyaki and ramen were served, with a rousing chorus of "Itdakimaus!"

Several minutes later, Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden sat back in their chairs after finishing several serving and bowls of Okonomiyaki and ramen.

"Who would have thought that a pizza cooked like an omelet would taste so good!" said Ian after finishing off a third helping of Okonomiyaki.

"And this beef ramen is superb!" said Adam after finishing his fourth bowl, "my compliments to the chef."

"Adam is too kind," said a slightly blushing Shampoo, "is simple family recipe."

"Well I know a guy who's a fanatic about ramen," said Kairi, remembering Naruto, "I'll have to introduce you to him someday, you could share notes."

"Shampoo will keep in mind."

Sora then saw that Ranma had just finished his eleventh helping of Okonomiyaki and his thirteenth bowl of ramen.

"Man, how can you eat so much and not throw up?" Kyle asked.

"I just need to eat a lot," said Ranma, "I've always been this way before."

"I've seen some strange things in my time," said Adam, "but to see someone with such an appetite and still remain is perfect shape, it's astounding."

"Bizarre," said Jean-Louise

"We've met someone with a bigger stomach and an even bitter appetite," said Sora, remembering Luffy.

"Maybe we can get them together someday," said Ukyo.

"Eating contest?" Shampoo asked.

"Maybe," said Ukyo, "I can imagine the ticket sails for such an event. But that's for later, so, what are Keyblades anyway?"

"We'll show you," said Sora. He, Riku, Kairi and Aiden stood up, "you've seen the wooden swords we used in the tournament."

"I saw how well you used them," said Ranma, "my mom really did teach you?"

"When I say that they're my favorite students," said Nodoka, "I meant it."

"Well," said Kairi, "we're more than outstanding sword masters," she and the boys then summoned their Keyblades.

The room was then filled with cries of surprise and startled exclamations.

"So that's where you got the designs for such fabulous swords," said Jean-Louise as the assembled martial artists settle down from their shock.

"Where did you acquire these divinely crafted blades?" Tatewaki asked as he eyed Sora's Keyblade enviously.

"They chose us," said Riku as he held up his Keyblade, "only a person with specific qualities can wield one of these."

"And once you're chosen," said Aiden, "you're stuck with it, I'll show you want I mean," he held out his Keyblade to Ukyo, "let's see what you make of this."

Ukyo took the Keyblade from Aiden, while Sora held out his Keyblade to Tatewaki, whom took it.

"It hardly weighs a thing," said an amazed Ukyo as she gave the Keyblade an experimental swing.

"Perfectly balanced," said Tatewaki as he admired Sora's Keyblade, "in the hands of a master, this weapon would make him nigh invincible."

"I don't know about being unbeatable," said Sora, "but…" he and Aiden then summoned their Keyblades back from the hands of Ukyo and Tatewaki.

"Incredible!" said Cologne. The ancient Amazon matriarch had been silent so far, listening intently as Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden told their stories.

"Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked in a concerned tone.

"Truly," said Cologne as she hopped on her walking stick to Sora and the others, "these four young warriors are an exceptional breed whom have been chosen by destiny to stand against the darkness."

"That's what I've believed all along," said Nodoka, "when I first began teaching Sora and Riku years ago, and when I saw Kairi, I knew that they were meant for great things, and I felt the same thing when I met Aiden."

"But what does it mean?" Ranma asked, "why is all of this happening?"

"And why did we get attacked by Heartless?" Felicia asked, while Adam, Kyle, Ian, Julia and Jean-Louise nodded in agreement.

"I want to know if there'll be more of them buggers," said Kyle.

"There may be," said Riku, "but not in large numbers."

"When we came home after defeating Xemnes," said Sora, "we found our worlds' Keyhole and sealed it. We're safe from the darkness."

"The Keyhole was right under our noses all along," said Kairi, "it was in a cave we played in when we were kids. All along, that strange door a few feet away from where Sora, Riku and I doodled on the rock wall would be the cause of so much terrible trouble."

"Well, at least everything's alright," said Ukyo, "I mean, we're safe from The Heartless, right?"

"We managed to defeat those Neo Shadows with only a few wounds to remind us of the fights," said Adam, "some visible, some not. But…I'd rather not imagine what would have happened if I wound up facing more than just one of those abominations."

"I probably would have taken out thirty of those freaking things before the end came to me," said Felicia, "maybe forty."

"At least fifty with me," said Julia.

"Fifty-five," said Ian, "and you can take that to the bank."

"Don't cash your checks just yet, boyo," said Kyle, "I most likely would have sent sixty-five of those things back to where they came from."

"I'd rather not count," said Jean-Louise, "but if I were forced to fight a lot of those monsters, I'd do the very best I could and try to stay alive, _pour où il y a la vie, il y a l'espoir_."

"'Where's there's life, there's hope,'" said Kairi in an agreeing tone. "The best anyone could do is to fight to stay alive."

"I agree," said Adam, "but, if someone else was there, someone who was in danger of being consumed by the darkness, I would have fought with everything I could to save that innocent."

"I too would have fought with every fiber of mine being," said Tatewaki, "to save the life and heart of an innocent."

"Especially if the innocent was a pretty girl?" Kodatchi teased.

"Just as thee would hath saved a handsome boy," said Tatewaki.

"Just point me in the right direction," said Mousse, "and I would have ripped through them like crap through a goose."

"You'd certainly know all about geese," said Ranma, "or at least ducks."

"Oh shut up," snapped Mousse, "before I tear you a new one."

Ranma was about to reply with something snappy, when Shampoo grabbed onto his left arm adoringly.

"Shampoo know Ranma protect her from Heartless!"

Before Ranma could do anything to shake off the purple-haired Amazon, Kodatchi grabbed onto his right arm.

"My darling Ranma will defend me from the darkness! Me and only me!"

"You're both delusional!" said Ukyp as she threw her arms around Ranma's neck, "we're going to protect each other!"

Sora could tell that Ranma was feeling exceptionally miserable to be treated like this by three extraordinarily cute but demanding girls. But before he, Riku, Kairi or Aiden could do anything, Adam stood up and walked over.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you ladies to stop this," Adam said in a calm but serious tone "please remove yourself from his person, now."

"No!" snapped Kodatchi as she clutched Ranma's arm harder, "Ranma darling and I are destined to be together, forever!"

"Shampoo is to be Ranma's bride!" said the purple-haired Amazon as she too clutched harder on Ranma.

"This has gone too far!" said Kairi as she stood up and walked over, "I've seen you three," she pointed at Ukyo, Kodatchi and Shamppo, "treat Ranma like he's some sort of collectable. Well he's not some object you can collect! He's a human being for crying out loud! And you three ought to be ashamed of yourselves for not treating him as such."

_:You go girlfriend!: _said Namine.

_:I'm just getting started,:_ said Kairi.

The three girls were stunned by Kairi's rant, but then Kodatchi broke the silence, "how dare you!" she snapped angrily, "just who do you think you are to even try to come between me and my darling Ranma!"

"I'm someone who's standing up for the basic human rights of another," said Kairi, "you may think you're better than everyone else, Kodatchi Kuno, but if you were to truly look at yourself in the mirror, you'd see a girl wrapped up in so many delusions about herself that it's a miracle she knows which way is up."

Kairi then looked at Shampoo, "then there's you, a girl who loves her people and culture and is willing to stand up for her way of life. But you've allowed your people's traditions to go too far. There are some things that go beyond tradition and honor, and one of those things is the right of a person to live as he or she sees fit. You've used all sorts of dirty tricks to get Ranma to fall in love with you, but if you'd really think about it, you'd realize that all you'd get in return was an empty love that would only lead to heartache."

The purple-haired Amazon tried to justify herself, "but…but Ranma… he is one Shampoo loves."

"But does he love you back in truth?" Kairi asked.

Cologne then hopped over to Kairi, "you have a lot of guts to do this, young one, I admire that. But your efforts are in vain. My great-granddaughter will marry Ranma. The traditions of our tribe which has lasted for over 3,000 years must be upheld."

"Not all traditions are meant to last forever," said Kairi, "if you think that just because you're an honored elder with many years of experience behind her that you can just walk over the rights of another human being, then we defiantly don't see eye to eye.

"And if you have a problem with my defying your people's traditions, if you have a problem for standing up for Ranma, then we can settle this after the tournament, any time you're ready."

"I do have a problem with you defying 3,000 years of Chinese Amazonian traditions," said a calm but still angry Cologne, "but I am willing to wait until after the tournament."

"Any time you're ready," Kairi said again. She then looked at Ukyo, "and then there's you, the so called best friend."

"I am his best friend!" snapped Ukyo, "I love Ranma with all my heart, and I certainly treat him like a human being, unlike some others I know."

"If you truly love him," said Kairi, "If you truly are his friend, his best friend, then you'd let him make his own choice in life. And if you truly are his friend, then you'd be happy with whatever choice he makes."

"Are you done?" an irate Kodatchi asked, "is there anything else you have to say?"

"No," said Kairi, "there's a lot I'd like to say to Akane Tendo, but she's not here right now, so I'll stop for the time being."

"I'd like to say something," said Kyle. He stood up and looked at Kodatchi, "you, my dear, are clearly insane and should be locked up with the key thrown away. Other than that, I think you're a beautiful lass with a lot of talent. If you'd just get over this irrational fixation with a certain boy, you'd be on top of the world."

"I'd also like to say somethin'," said Ian. He stood up and walked over to Ukyo, "I see here a wonderful person who's also got a tone of talent. The only thing I can see that's wrong with you is that you don't know when to let go of something. You clearly care a lot about Ranma, and he likes you, but you need to realize that he's never going to see you more than as a friend."

"And if I may get my two cents in," said Adam as he walked over to Shampoo, "when I see this lovely young woman, I see a person who is so blinded by tradition that she fails to see the beauty of the world around her. I see a girl with so much potential, yet that potential is wasted," he looked Shampoo in the eyes, "surely you must realize that the more you try to make Ranma fall in love with you, the greater the chances he will someday come to hate you."

The purple-haired Amazon was shocked by this, "Ranma no hate Shampoo! Ranma never hate Shampoo!"

"He _will _come to hate you," said Adam in a solemn tone, "I should know. I've seen it happen when one person in a relationship tries to make the other fall in love. Forcing love can only lead to heartache and hatred."

Adam then spoke to Ukyo, Kodatchi and Shampoo, "all of you need to realize that the harder you try to make Ranma love you, the harder he will push you away. As Ian said, if you truly love Ranma, then you would trust him to choose for himself."

"How can I possibly let Ranma choose when these whores are constantly trying to take him away from me?" demanded Kodatchi.

"Only whore here is you, psycho girl!" snapped Shampoo.

"You both are whores!" shouted Ukyo.

At that Aiden stood up and shouted "Fingers On Lips!" while holding his hand in a 'shushing' position.

This sudden outburst got everyone's attention and things quieted down.

"It's clear that we're not going to get anywhere talking to you idiots," Aiden said to Kodatchi, Shampoo, Ukyo, Mousse and Tatewaki, "so, I'll talk to the one whom you are making so miserable."

He then looked at Ranma, "you shouldn't let these morons make you so miserable. Nobody should have to put up with so many people either trying to get you to fall in love with them or trying to kill you. If it were me in your shoes, I wouldn't take any crap from anyone. I'd fight back with everything I had, if only for my own wellbeing."

"If I may interrupt," said Felicia, "I believe that the reason Ranma has suffered so much isn't only out of honor. This is what is known as the Sanction of the Victim. Ranma, you're willing to suffer because deep down in your inner self, someplace in your subconscious, you see yourself as having done something wrong and should be punished for it."

"You're willing to be the sacrificial lamb," said Jean-Louise, "you feel honor bound to endure the actions of those who either hate or are obsessed with you. You're willing to allow those who would do you harm to inflict that harm, instead of standing up for your basic human rights. You're willing to let evil have its way with you."

"But it doesn't have to be that way, mate," said Julia, "evil only exists if you let it exist. Evil is like a parasite that feeds off of good, but only if good tolerates that parasite. But if you take action, then that parasite is destroyed before it can do any further harm. True, the damage is done, but at least you're still alive, and where there's life there's hope."

"So what's it going to be, Ranma Saotome," said Adam, "are you going to continue your present course in life where morons and lunatics have their way with you, eventually resulting in your own self destruction? Or are you going to take charge of your life and stand up for yourself?"

"Just who the hell do you people think you are?" snapped Mousse, "how dare you try to come between me and my darling Shampoo!"

"We're people who are looking out for the wellbeing of a fellow martial artist," said Felicia.

"Same with us," said Sora, while Riku, Kairi and Aiden nodded.

Kodatchi then snorted with disgust, "well I've always looked out for Ranma darling's well being."

"Oh please," said an annoyed Ukyo, "how many times have you used various poisons to get him to be your human doll?"

"Shampoo never abuse Ranma."

"Don't make me laugh," said Ukyo, "just how many times have you and the old bat blackmailed Ranma into going on dates?"

"I knew I forgot to mention something," said Nodoka. She then spoke to Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "Cologne and Shampoo have often enticed Ranma with 'cures' to his curse, as payment for going on dates with Shampoo. They've also used various Chinese Amazonian magic items and potions to get him to fall in love with her."

At that Kairi glared angrily at Shampoo, "you used magic to get him to love you? Don't you know anything about magic?"

"A certain Genie once told me that you can't use magic to make people fall in love," said Sora, "you can cause a strong attraction and desire, but never true love."

Mousse then straightened his glasses to see that Shampoo was very upset by Kairi's outburst, "you dirty tramp! I'll make you pay for upsetting Shampoo!"

"Sit down and shit up, four-eyes!" snapped Felicia.

Kairi still had more to say to Shampoo, "what respect I had for you as a friend and a fellow martial artist is starting to fade. I'm starting to regret that we ever became friends in the first place."

"You are rapidly approaching a line that you truly do not wish to cross, young lady," said an irate Cologne to Kairi, "the law of the Chinese Amazons is clear; Ranma and Shampoo will wed, no matter the cost!"

"Even if the cost is Ranma's life?" Riku asked, "or Shampoo's? Because a forced marrige will only end in tears. If you force them together, it's more than likely that one may try to kill the other."

"You're talking about Ranma and Akane," said Ukyo, "if those two do get together, then they'll definitely put each other in their graves."

"And what of you?" Ian asked, "what will you do to Ranma?"

"I'd trust him to make his own decisions," said Ukyo. "You guys are right, Ranma isn't some toy to collect. He's a human being with rights that cannot be taken away," she glared at her rival fiancées, "despite what some of us think," she then glared at Tatewaki and Mousse, "and none of us have the right to hurt him just because he appears to be an obsticle in the way of an irrational goal."

"My love for Akane Tendo and the Pigtailed Girl is not irrational!" snapped Tatewaki.

"You just keep thinking that," said Ukyo, "see where it gets you. But as for me, I'm done being an idiot," she looked at Kairi, "you're right, I'm Ranma's friend and as his friend, I want him to be first and foremost happy. I love him enough to let him choose his own path, and if I'm not on that path, then at least we'll still be friends. And our friendship is something I would never want to lose, even if it means that's all we'll be."

"Ucchan," said a startled Ranma.

"Looks like we all got through to at least one of them," Aiden whispered to Sora.

Sora then saw that Shampoo had been sitting in a contemplative manner, like she was dealing with a serious matter of her heart. Finally, the purple-haired Amazon stood up, "Shampoo think about it, and Shampoo realize that Kairi is right, and so is others. Ranma like Shampoo, but he no love Shampoo. Shampoo love Ranma enough to let him choose for himself."

"Granddaughter!" snapped Cologne, "the law! Remember the law!"

"Screw the law, old woman!" shouted Mousse, his bespectacled face bright with hope, "if Shampoo is willing to renounce her claim on Ranma, all the good for her."

"And then we have you," said Felicia, "another freaking idiot. It doesn't take a genius to realize that you're head over heals in love with Shampoo, but clearly you did something to her that's seriously turned her off. You need to get it trough your freaking head that no matter what you do, no matter how many times you do it, you're never going to get her to love you back."

"And there is this pathetic excuse for a human being," said Jean-Louise as she looked at Tatewaki, "while being rather good looking, he is also a chauvinistic pig who has no grasp of the word fidelity. You say you are an honorable man, Tatewaki Kuno, well, I spit on your so called honor!" she then spat at Tatewaki, the spittle landing between his feet.

"If that is a challenge," said Tatewaki as he stood up, "then so be it. We will meet on the field of honor. If thou win this challenge, thou may date me."

"I wouldn't date you with a ten foot pole," said Jean-Louise, "and I will only fight you if we are matched up in the tournament, in which I will fight for only myself and the championship, and with that I bid you a good evening, sir!" she then stood up and left the room.

"I think I will take my leave as well," said Kyle, "we all have a lot to do tomorrow, so I think I'd better get ready," he stood up and left.

"I'd better get ready for tomorrow as well," said Felicia, "goodnight, everyone."

Ian and Adam also left, but Julia stayed, "I'm nowhere ready for bed, mind you."

"I think we all should call it a night," said Nodoka, "some of us have some thinking to do."

"That we do, Nodoka," said Cologne, "that we do," the Amazon matriarch then glared at Kairi, "we will settle this at another time, young lady." With that she hopped out of the room, while Mousse Shampoo also followed.

"It would seem that the only to settle this once and for all would be in the arena," said Tatewaki, "Saotome, I offer you this proposal; whomever wins the tournament shall have both Akane Tendo and the Pigtailed Girl."

"Whatever makes you happy," said an irate Ranma.

"Then I bid you a good evening," said Tatewaki, he stood up and bowed, "until tomorrow then," and left.

Kodatchi was still silent from the last round of shouting as she stood up and followed her brother out of the room.

"For a moment there I thought a war was going to start," said Sora, "especially with the Amazons."

"It may just," said Nodoka, "if I know anything about Cologne, she will not let this down. I still don't know why she's so hell bent on my son marrying Shampoo, but it goes beyond tribal law." She looked at her son apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Ranma, I just wanted you to be able to stand up for yourself and regain your passion for life. I asked Sora and the others to help inspire you and to help get your rivals and fiancées to back off, but now things have been blown all out of proportion."

"It's alright, mom," said Ranma, "I'm really okay with this. If the old ghoul wants to start a war, I'll give her a war she'll never forget," he then looked at Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "I get what my mom was trying to do, and thanks. I do feel like I'm more like myself again."

"So you've regained your reason to live?" Aiden asked.

"Who said I lost it?" Ranma said in a denying tone, "but I did feel really down and out before you guys showed up. And thanks for helping me with those other idiots."

"We only started the ball rolling," said Riku, "Adam and the others helped expose the Kuno siblings and the Amazons for what they are."

"It weren't nothing, mate," said Julia, "we just did what any self-respecting human beings would do for another. Those two Amazons, Shampoo and Mousse, they're decent enough, but them Kuno's, now they're defiantly a whole different species."

"And what about me?" Ukyo asked, "what species am I?"

"You're a good person who just needed a kick in the head," said Ian as he walked back to collect his jacket that he forgot.

"I did need to get my thoughts in order," said Ukyo. She then looked at Ranma, "I'm sorry I was such a pain, Ranma Honey, I shouldn't have been so possessive. It's just that I want you to be happy, and I know those other idiots are completely wrong for you, and now that I think about it, so am I."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ucchan," said Ranma, "you're a wonderful person, and a really great cook to boot, but I'm just not in love with you, and I don't want to be in love with you. I'm not saying I hate you, but I don't want to lose our friendship either."

"She is a fantastic cook," said Ian between bites of Okonomiyaki.

"Thanks," said Ukyo. She then looked at Ranma, "I don't want to lose you as a friend either," the two of them then hugged like the friends they were, "but I certainly don't want to see you lose yourself to someone who will only make you miserable, like that idiot, Akane."

"She is an idiot," said Ranma, "and an un-cute tomboy to boot."

"What did you say!" shouted Akane as she stood in the doorway, a look of rage twisting her face. She then realized that Ranma and Ukyo were still hugging. Enraged, Akane picked up a nearby table and held it over her head.

"Holy crap!" exclaimed Aiden, "what monstrous strength!"

"And I thought Sakura was scary when angry!" said Riku,

"Ranma, you jerk!" shouted Akane as she threw the table, aiming for Ranma and Ukyo. Instead, her rage-clouded vision disrupted her aim, sending the table headlong towards Kairi.

"Look out!" shouted Sora as he dove at Kairi, pulling her out of the way just as the table hit the floor were she was standing.

"Are you alright, Kairi!" a frantic Sora asked.

"I'm alright," said Kairi. She then saw Akane, who was looking like she had only now realized that she had tried to crush the wrong person.

"That idiot tried to kill me!" said Kairi.

"I…that is…I mean…" said a shaken Akane, "I was trying to…"

"You were trying to kill my son and his friend," said an irate Nodoka as she glared at Akane, "but you nearly almost killed my student. You've done some moronic things in the past, Akane Tendo, and this is the latest in a long list of idiocy. Well I've had enough. I will still honor the agreement my husband made with your father over the arranged marrige, so long as my son is willing, but know this Akane; if you ever try to hurt my son, his friends or my students again, I will make you regret it."

"But it wasn't my fault!" pleaded Akane, "it was Ranma and that slut Ukyo. I didn't mean to hurt your student, Auntie Nodoka!"

"I'd be most appreciative if you didn't use that term of affection any more, Akane," said Nodoka, "is that understood? Or do I have to get your worm of a father involved?"

Akane was speechless. Sora could tell that Akane wasn't used to being talked back like this, especially with Nodoka involved. Finally, Akane shouted, "I hate you, Ranma! I hate you! I hope you die!" and she ran out of the room crying.

Two seconds later Miley walked in, looking very confused, "who put the burrs in her britches?"

"That would be me," said Nodoka, "though I had help from others tonight."

"You got my text," said Kairi to Miley, "you almost missed the start of a war."

"Glad I did miss it," said Miley

Sora then introduced Miley to Nodoka, then to Ranma, Ukyo, Ian and Julia.

"So you're Kairi's teacher?" Miley asked Nodoka, "and you taught Riku, Sora and Aiden?"

"She taught us everything we know," said Sora, while Riku nodded in agreement.

"And she helped me improve a lot," said Aiden, "oh, Miley, you were right about good things happening to good people. Hannah sent me a letter with a VIP ticket for the tournament."

"She did?" an amazed-sounding Miley asked, "that's awesome!"

"What's even more awesome was that I sat next to this really cool guy," said Aiden, "this really cool actor, Jake Ryan."

"You sat next to Jake Ryan?" Julia asked eagerly, while Ukyo also had an eager look on her face.

"There was also this rotten little creep who kept trying to make bets with me," said Aiden, "and there was this guy who was really nice, but boy was he dumb."

"I think I know who you're talking about," said Miley, "were their names Rico and Jackson?"

"I think that's what their names were," said Aiden, "you know them?"

"I'd be lying if I said no," remarked Miley, "but that a whole other kettle of corn. What about that girl who just ran out?"

Sora and the others then gave Miley a summarized version of the overly complicated relationship between Ranma and Akane.

"Wow," said a stunned Miley, "I've met some strange people before, but that Akane Tendo is definitely a girl who flip-flops more than a catfish in a moon bouncer."

"You have no idea," said Ranma.

"Huh?" asked a confused Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Ukyo, Ian, Julia and Nodoka.

Miley sighed, "ya'll definitely wouldn't last two minutes in Tennessee."

"I'm partial to agree with you, ma'am," said Ian, "and I'm from Texas."

"Well," said Miley in a deeper Tennessee accent, "from one good ol' southerner to another, I'd like to say that you are a gentleman among gentlemen."

"And you are truly the belle of the ball," said Ian.

"Alright, enough cute talk," said Miley in a more serious tone, "anyway, I saw you all fight today, you were awesome!"

"You thought today was great," said Sora, "wait until tomorrow. I'm gonna wipe that smug look off that Kuno guy's face."

"Wish I could do it for you," said Kairi. "You saw how I lost today, Miley."

"Talk about bad luck," said Miley. She then looked at Ian, "and I'm really sorry you lost too. You were good."

"But the guy I faced was better," said Ian, "and creepy. I'm telling ya'll that there's something wrong about that Tom Smith character."

"You said it," said Aiden, "I could tell all the way from the audience that he was rotten. Call me a coward if you want, but I'm glad that I'm not fighting him at all."

"But Shampoo is," said a concerned Ranma, "she's facing that guy tomorrow. I know that Shampoo has done a lot of mean things to me, but I still care for her, if only for her well being, and the last thing I want is for her to get hurt at all."

"She was strong enough to beat me," said Kairi, "maybe she'll win."

"I hope so," said Riku, "for Shampoo's sake. I've got a bad feeling that that Tom Smith was holding back a lot, that he was only using a fraction of his fighting prowess today."

"If what he did to me was only a fraction of his power," said Ian, "then the rest of us are in for one raw deal."

* * *

"Those losers are in for one raw deal when they end up facing our champ!" said Hades as he, Ursula and Tom Smith, stood on the roof of the hotel, "that Amazon girl is gonna get her head ripped off!"

"And I believe that we've found quite a few dark hearts," said Ursula, "over half the fighters who entered the tournament are nothing more than bullies and thugs who only fight so they can beat people up. Ha Ha! Perfect fodder to be turned into Heartless!

"And let's not forget the poor saps who were eliminated from the top 32. Nearly all of the 16 that lost are full of anger towards the winners, the only exceptions being that Texan kid and that wretched former Princess of Heart, Kairi. I'm surprised that she, as a Keyblade Wielder, lost."

"Give her some credit," said Hades, "she's still new at this whole hero razzle-dazzle business. But at least she's out of the way so we can deal with her later," the flamed-haired god of the underworld eyed Tom Smith, who was gazing up at the stars, "she wouldn't last ten seconds against this weirdo."

"Remind me again why we have to keep such a tight leash on our pet?" Ursula asked, "it would seem to me that if our wonder boy were to remember more of who he was, if we let him remember more of his personality, he'd be that much stronger."

"He'd turn on us the microsecond we let our guard down," said Hades, "this maniacal soul was born rotten to begin with, a real sociopath and a psychopath all in one human-sized package. He betrayed his best friend and went on a rampage, then wound up putting a curse on himself that gave him near immortality, but it later cost him his body.

"His head was still in one piece, so he took over the body of his would be killer, his best friend no less. It took him a hundred years to get used to his body, all the while trapped underwater, but he came back fully restored, and with a weird power no less. But he wound up getting blasted to pieces in the end by the descended of the guy he betrayed in the first place."

Hades glared at Ursula, "this guy was so messed up, so vile and dispeciable, the underworld of his universe kicked him out and he wound up in my underworld."

"You told me that already," said Ursula, "but he looks harmless to me, to us that is," she looked at Tom Smith, "isn't that right, champ?"

Tom Smith then looked at Ursula and smiled, "whatever you say, mistress."

"See?" Ursula said to Hades, "we've got nothing to worry about."

"Heartless aren't supposed to talk," said Hades.

"So this one can," said Ursula, "so what? As long as he gets the job done," she looked at Tom Smith, "you do know what your job is, right?"

"Destroy the Keyblade Wielders and win the tournament," said Tom Smith, "is there anything else you wish of me, mistress?"

"If I think of anything," said Ursula, "you'll be the first to know. But first I have some sore losers to visit, and some deals to offer."

"Overconfident sea cow," muttered Hades, "the sooner I'm free of you, the better."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"I'd say that, given the circumstances and the time we've been allotted," said Reddik, "I'd say we've come up with a decent plan. That old man that Maleficent is so hung up about is as good as captured."

"Remind me again why Maleficent wants this Happosai so badly?" a disgruntled Konrad asked, "seems a waste of time and our efforts to bring back a useless old peasant."

"Why do you always call everyone peasants?" Erika asked in an annoyed tone, "you even call us that, and we're all the elite of the Hakonian race."

"If we're the best of our people," said Rakel, "how come we're in this mess, where if we screw up one more time, we'll wish we were never born? Tell me that."

"It's all the fault of those Keyblade brats!" snapped Konrad, "if Ulrik had just destroyed those meddling children when he had the chance, we wouldn't be in such dire circumstances."

"If blaming the deceased would solve our problems," said Reddik, "then I'd curse our ancestors who allowed The Doctor to destroy our empire. But cursing the dead never did anyone any good, so all we can do is make sure that we, that includes you, Konrad, and Erika, and you too, Rakel, don't screw this up. Otherwise what Maleficent did to us before is going to seem like paradise compared to what she'll do to us next."

"Then we'd better not fail," said Rakel as she opened a Dark Corridor to Earth, "for all our sakes."

"Ladies first," said Reddik. Rakel and Erika went in first, followed by Konrad, and Reddik went last, with the Dark Corridor closing up behind him.

* * *

The day of the second round of the finals dawn bright and clear. "Okay then," said Sora as he met with Riku for breakfast, "today's gonna be a lot harder than yesterday."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Riku, "I'm going to face that Mousse guy. I think last night we managed to help Shampoo realize the truth of her relationship with Ranma, but Mousse is still hung up over her. But I may be able to knock some sense into him during our match today."

"I just hope I can do the same thing with that Kuno guy," said Sora, "but then, he has to have a bran to have some sense knocked into first."

"True," said Riku.

They reached the breakfast buffet, where Kairi and Aiden were already at a table with Nodoka.

"So, you two are ready?" Nodoka asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be," said Sora.

"All we can do is try out best," said Sora.

"I'll be cheering you both," said Kairi, "even though I lost yesterday, I'll still be able to watch with the others."

"And I'll be cheering from the VIP seats," said Aiden. He patted his full pockets, "I've got more than enough gold to cover any bets that rotten little creep, Rico, has to offer."

"We'll do our best to help you line your pockets," said Riku.

"You know," said Kairi, "I feel like we've really made some progress yesterday with Ranma. He's got Ukyo off his back about marrying him, and I think we helped Shampoo see the light, or at least showed her where the light is."

"If only we can get her great-grandmother to back off," said Riku, "then we would really be making progress. And then there's that psychopath, Kodatchi."

"And there's the rivals," said Aiden, "Mousse and Tatewakia re still hell bent on killing Ranma, and that Ryoga guy is still missing in action."

"Those are problems to worry about later," said Nodoka, "but I do believe that things will work out in the end."

After breakfast they had a while to relax before heading to the arena at 9:00. In the area for the fighters Ranma, Ukyo, Adam, Julia, Jean-Louise, Kyle and Felicia, were already there. Ryoga was nowhere to be found, and only Ian was there from the fighters who were eliminated yesterday.

"I tried to find out what happened to those who lost," said Ian, "but they must have skipped town last night at some time or another."

"You'd think they'd stay to watch the rest of the tournament, don't 'cha know," said Kyle.

"Maybe they're just sore losers," said Ukyo.

"Maybe," said Sora.

Just then Tatewaki and Kodatchi walked in. The male Kuno nodded in acknowledgement to Sora, "I hope thou art prepared to face thyne crushing defeat today."

"As I also hope you are prepared to face unbridled humiliation in front of the whole world," said Kodatchi to Felicia.

"Let's get one thing straight," said Felicia, "well, two things. One, you're a freaking psychopath, and two, I don't care if I lose in front of the whole world, there'll be other freaking tournaments. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna give it my all. Far from it, I'm going to try my very best to break your freaking head open, maybe that'll cure you of your insanity."

"I doubt it," said Tatewaki, "my sister, though she be my closest blood kin, she is beyond hope." He then eyed Kairi, "but the fair Kairi, do not despair, for I shall defeat the vile charlatan who hath stolen thy heart, and then we shall be together, forever!"

"You leave Kairi alone!" snapped Sora, "and what did you call me?"

"He called you a poser," said Riku.

Kairi meanwhile was glaring intensely at Tatewaki.

"Why are thou gazing at mine self with such passion?" Tatewaki asked, "is it that thou art in a state of unbearable desire for the Blue Thunder, the Rising Star?"

"If you had half a brain," said Kairi through gritted teeth, "you'd realize that I'm glaring at you, not gazing. I'm trying to see if I have the power to burn a hole in your head with my mind." she sighed and sat down, "no such luck."

_:You don't need that power,: _said Sora, _:you were magical enough even before we got chosen by the Keyblades.:_

_:You want me to come out and make that jerk forget he ever saw you?: _Naminé asked.

_:Don't waste your magic on this sleazebag,: _said Roxas, :_he doesn't even have the brains for you to work on.:_

_:You're probably right: _said Naminé.

Just then the three Amazons, Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne, came in.

"Son-in-law," said the Amazon matriarch, "I've have a long conversation with my great-granddaughter last night. She clearly is willing to defy 3,000 years of Chinese Amazon traditions, all for the sake of friendship. Even if it means disgracing herself in front of her people."

"Shampoo does love Ranma," said the purple-haired Amazon stubbornly, "and Shampoo know Ranma no love Shampoo back."

"Be as that may," said an annoyed Cologne, "You entered a binding contract when my great-granddaughter gave you the Kiss of Marriage, son-in-law, and the law is the law. I'm sure that once you two are married, you'll grow into happiness."

_:I can't believe this old idiot!: _Kairi snapped.

_:To hell with the tournament!: _said an irate Riku, :I'm going to give this old bat a piece of my mind.:

Sora was about to agree with his friend, but he was interrupted by the myopic male Amazon.

"Well I'm happy now," said Mousse as smiled while cleaning his glasses, "I've realized that I've made a fool in front of Shampoo too many times for her to ever fall in love with me, but I'm okay with it," he put his glasses back on, "I've found someone I know I can be happy with," he smiled at Felicia, and she blew him a kiss back.

"When did that happen?" Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Ranma Ukyo, Adam, Ian, Julia, Kyle and Jean-Louise asked.

"Last night after everyone left the restaurant," said Felicia, "I went to his hotel room to apologize for calling him four-eyes. He asked me in for a nightcap, I said yes. He talked about his life as a male Amazon and all his wild escapades, and I told him about growing up in Boston and my training trips to The Philippines. One thing led to another, and, well," she blushed at that, "let's just say that after I told Mousse that I regularly wrestle water buffalo, we got really close for a while."

"We were close," said Mousse as he sat down next to Felicia, "really close, close enough to want to stay close." The two of them then kissed.

"Guess wrestling water buffalo is considered attractive in some cultures," said Aiden.

"Nope," said Shampoo, "only Mousse, but Shampoo didn't know until just know."

"Who would ever thought he'd wind up with an American," said a shocked Kodatchi, "it's a scandal!"

"I could care less what you and your blue-blood peers thing of me, psycho," said Mousse as he held Felicia's hand, "I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long, long, long time."

"And I've never been as happy either," said Felicia.

"This is kinda awkward," said Julia.

"I know," said a stunned Ranma, "I'm so used to Mousse wanting to kill me, and now…"

"Now Mousse no longer obsessed with Shampoo," said the smiling purple-haired Amazon, "Mousse has gown up."

"He's become a man at last," said Cologne.

"It's more than that," said Kairi. "a friend once told me that the signs of true love can be seen if you know what to look for. From what I see," she looked at the new couple, "these two soul mates have finally found each other."

Mousse then got up and looked at Ranma in the eye, or rather, his forehead, "I may have found my soul mate, Ranma Saotome, but that doesn't mean I like you now. I still want to beat you, but for the right reasons now. I want to prove to the world that I'm the best, that my style of martial arts is the best, and I'm going to do it by winning this tournament, by defeating you, Ranma."

"I'll be waiting," said Ranma.

"He'll have to wait for a long time," said Riku, "you and me, Mousse, we've got a match today, and believe me when I say I won't hold back just because you've found your soul mate."

"I don't want you to hold back," said Mousse.

"Good," said Riku, "because I won't. And don't hold back on me just because you've found your soul mate."

"I won't," said Mousse.

"And don't expect me to hold out when we fight," said Felicia to Kodatchi, "Just because I've found the man of my dreams, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, you freaking psychopath."

At that Kodatchi laughed, "I would expect nothing less from one whom had fallen in love with a barbarian."

"I am not a barbarian!" snapped Mousse, "and you need to get your head professionally shrunk."

"My thoughts exactly," said Felicia.

"Well," said Sora, "that's one problem solved. Mousse is no longer a serious threat to Ranma."

"And we may be close to solving another problem," said Kairi, "if we can just convince Cologne to let the laws of her tribe be broken this one time, then that'd be one fiancée down for sure," she looked at Ukyo, "two definitely."

Ukyo, meanwhile was looking at Ian in a contemplative manner, and he was looking back.

"It must be her cooking," said Riku, "I saw Ian eat more of Ukyo's Okonomiyaki than everyone else, except Ranma."

Just then something caught Sora's eye, "uh-oh, looks like another problem just walked in."

At the entrance to the fighter's area was Akane, wearing a yellow gi, and with a black piglet in her arms. The piglet had a yellow and black neckerchief around its neck, and a very sour expression on its face, an expression that was glaring death at Ranma.

"Oh, Akane," said Ranma, "glad you're here, 'cause we need to talk, and P-chan needs to here it."

"That's P-chan?" a confused Sora asked.

"Don't let Akane know," said Ukyo, "but P-chan is really Ryoga."

"How'd that happen?" a surprised Aiden asked.

"He's also cursed," said Mousse, "fell into a Jusenkyo spring, just like me and Shampoo."

"Lost boy Ryoga fall into _Heitowennīchuan_, 'Spring of Drowned Piglet," said Shampoo, "Mousse fall into _Yazunīchuan_, 'Spring of Downed Duck,' and Shampoo fall into _Maonīchuan_, 'Spring of Drowned Cat.'"

"How many cursed springs are there in this world?" Aiden asked.

"More than you would be comfortable with," said Cologne, "fortunately they're all confined to Jusenkyo, in the Qinghai Province of China."

"I'll have to avoid Qinghai Province then," said Aiden.

Sora then focused on the conversation between Ranma and Akane. All the wile Ryoga, as P-chan, kept glaring death at Ranma and was tensed up, ready to leap at Ranma and attack.

"So you see, Akane," said Ranma, "I've done a lot of thinking last night, and I just want to say that things are never going to work out between us, ever."

"What do you mean, Ranma?" Akane asked, while P-chan looked rather confused.

"I mean that this whole arranged marriage our dads made just isn't worth the effort," said Ranma, "even though we've been living in the same house for a long time, we're still don't really like each other. You have your differences, I have my differences, and I just don't see either of us getting over those differences any time soon, so let's just call it a wash before someone gets seriously hurt."

"You mean…" said a still confused Akane, "you want to call it off? Not be engaged anymore?"

With those words, everyone intensely listened to the conversation, especially Tatewaki and P-Chan.

"That's exactly what I mean," said Ranma, "even after all we've been through, all those wild adventures where I'm constantly saving you from some menace or another, you still don't trust me to be faithful, and I'm not feeling anything towards you other than a strong friendship, which I think is the most we'll ever be; really good friends," he held out his hand, "and if it's okay with you, I'd like us to still be friends."

"NO!" exclaimed both Genma and Soun as they ran into the area.

"I forbid this, Ranma!" snapped Genma, "you and Akane will marry, and that's final!"

"The future of the 'Anything Goes' style must be preserved," said Soun, "the two schools must be joined by marriage."

"Why?" Kyle asked abruptly, "what's the point of joining the schools, when there's really only one?"

"What are you talking about?" Akane asked.

"Well," said Kyle, "from what I've seen, only Ranma's been practicing a serious style of martial arts, where as you, Ms. Tendo, all I've seen you do is beat the crap out of your opponents. Oh sure, you're strong in many ways, you have to be strong if you want to survive in this mad, mad world of ours.

"But from what I can tell, you've only managed to make it through the preliminaries by sheer guts and brutality aimed towards your opponents, which by some twist of fate have all been boys."

"So what?" Akane asked in an irate tone.

"It means that you only made it this far because you've faced mostly bullies and thugs," said Ranma, "but now you're about to face a real martial artist. I know you've worked hard, Akane, but all you did for training back home was break bricks and demolish practice dummies. Now you're about to face a real fighter, one who puts his heart and soul into his style, and I don't think you'll last long."

"I won't will I?" demanded Akane. She alternated her glaring between Ranma and Kyle, "we'll see how long I'll last when I break each of your heads open!" With that she sat down in a huff, all the while holding P-Chan so tight it was a miracle he was still breathing.

"But…but what about the arranged marriage?" Soun asked, "what about the schools?"

"I think we should leave that aside until after the tournament," said Nodoka, "the younglings have enough to worry about as it is."

"Good idea, Nodoka," said Genma as he grinned eagerly.

"Don't think you've come out on top just yet, husband," said an annoyed Nodoka, "we've got plenty to discuss after the tournament as well, you too, Soun. When things calm down, we're all going to sit down and have a nice long chat about the future of our children; our children whom are now old enough to choose their futures for themselves."

At that both Genma and Soun started sweating nervously.

Sora then saw Jean-Louise looking at the clock, "the matches are about to start soon, and I'm up first."

"I'm sure you'll do great, darlin'," said Kyle.

"Oh I know I'll do my best," said Jean-Louise, "but I'm worried about the other guy. I'm fighting that bandana boy, Ryoga. If he doesn't show up soon, I'll win by default, and I don't want to win by default. I came here to fight, not automatically win because someone," she eyed P-Chan, "was too busy making a fool of himself in the arms of a girl who might as well not know he exists."

At that P-Chan squirmed out of Akane's arms and jumped to the floor. He then ran towards the mens' room like a pig out of hell.

"P-Chan!" Akane called after him, "come back!"

"He'll be back," said Ranma, "sooner or later. He always comes back"

"I'm confused," said Sora.

"You're not the only one," said Aiden. He then looked at the clock, "but you'll tell me what you learn later, I got to get to my seat. I've got a rotten little kid to wring money from."

"We'll make sure you clean up real nice," said Riku.

"Thanks," said Aiden as he left the area and headed for the VIP seats.

"So what's with Ryoga?" Kairi asked.

"From what I heard," said Nodoka, "while as P-Chan, he was adopted by Akane, who has absolutely no clue that her pet and Ryoga are one and the same. As P-Chan, Ryoga was 'privileged' to be with Akane in some rather compromising situations, if he were human that is."

"He sleeps with her in the same bed," said Ranma in a hushed tone, "and has seen her without her shirt on several times. All in all, Ryoga's hopelessly crushing on Akane, but he's too much of a coward to admit it to her. He made me promise not to tell her, and he's exploited my trust a lot ever since."

"I'm disliking Ryoga more and more," said Riku.

"You and me both," said Kairi.

Just then Ryoga, back in his human form and fully dressed, and with damp hair, rushed out of the men's room, "I made it!"

"Just in time," said Jean-Louise. She then whispered to Ryoga in an angry tone, "if you ever do that again, if you ever threaten my pride and honor as a martial artist again, all so you can spend more time in the arms of your 'owner,' I'll rip you in half, from the bottom up. _Comprenez-vous ?"_

"What are you talking about?" a nervously sweating Ryoga asked.

"Don't play the idiot, _mon ami désespérément perdu_," said Jean-Louise, "I know your dirty little secret."

Ryoga then gulped nervously, "and what dirty little secret would that be? And what did you call me just now?"

"One would think you'd learn to speak _français_ on your aimless travels," said Jena-Louise, "never mind. I called you 'my hopelessly lost friend,' and the secret," she whispered into Ryoga's ear, "is that you and that little black piglet Akane is so fond of, are one and the same."

At that Ryoga's face went three shades pale, "how did you know that?" he demanded in a hushed tone.

"When in your little form," said Jean-Louise, "your facial expression matches your human form perfectly. And then there's the fact that you wear that same bandana round your neck. Only an _imbécile _would not make the connection," she then looked at Akane, "which doesn't say much for our choice in women. So, here's my offer; you swear on your life and your love of it that you will make a conscious effort to be punctual, and I will swear on my life and my love of it that I will remain silent on the other subject in question. _Avons-nous une affaire?"_

"If you're asking me if we have a deal," said Ryoga, "then we have it. Akane must never know that I'm P-Chan. It'll break her heart."

"I'm more concern what she'll do to you physically if she finds out," said Jean-Louise, "but that is something we may never know. So, _permettez-nous de conclure nos affaires à portée de la main,_ let us conclude our business at hand."

"Alright," said Ryoga, "I swear on my life and my love of it, I will from now on try to be on time. But I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep that promise. This problem of mine where I keep getting lost, it happens on its own."

"As long as you try," said Jean-Louise, "and now for my end of the bargain. J'en _jure sur ma vie et mon amour, je wil gardent ce secret jusqu'au jour je meurs._ I will keep this secret until the day I die."

"Then we have a deal," said Ryoga. The two of then shook hands.

Just then one of the tournament officials walked up to say that the matches were about to start.

"It would seem that we have more business to conclude, _mon ami désespérément perdu," _said Jean-Louise to Ryoga, "we'd bet not keep the audience waiting, _allons-y!"_

"Ladies first," said Ryoga as he strapped to his back a bamboo umbrella, one of his trademark weapons.

* * *

"There you are," said Aiden as he reached the VIP seats. Already there was Jackson, Jake, and a very smug-looking Rico, "I've got the gold," he pulled out several gold pieces and separated them into two piles, each equivalent of $5,000. "I'm covered, are you?"

"I'm always covered," said Rico as he pulled out a large wad of cash and counted off two stacks of $5,000.

"How can you throw money away like that?" Jake asked.

"He's got way more than that," said Jackson.

"Too bad you'll never see a dime of it," said Rico.

"Too bad you're about to lose the bets" said Jackson, "I've been watching the clips of the prelims." he looked at Aiden, "I saw how good Sora and Riku are. They'll win without a doubt."

"Oh really," said Rico in a mischievous tone, "well I've been watching the prelim fights as well. I saw how good that Kuno guy is, and that Mousse guy." he looked at Aiden, "I think your friends are about to get their clocks cleaned."

"We'll see about that," said an irate Aiden. He then focused on his powers, concentrating as hard as he could in hopes that his friends would hear his thoughts, :_Sora, Riku, you'd better win, or I'll make you regret it!:_

* * *

"I think Aiden is thinking about us," said Sora, "for a second there, I almost heard him in my mind."

"Me too," said Riku, "I think we're getting stronger in mind as well as body, all of us."

_:Looks like our private chats won't be private much longer:_ said Kairi.

_:Having Riku and Aiden to talk to this way will make up for it: _said Sora.

But then the roar of the audience blocked out all further psychic communication as the second round of the finals began.

"Alright boys and girls!" said Hank into the microphone, "we're here at Day 2 of the Tournament of Light finals!"

"Only sixteen fighters remain from the thousands who entered!" said Lisa, "and only eight will advance to the next one, but only one will take home the gold!"

"Things are gonna be a little different today," said Hannah, who was wearing a sparkly green and white top with designer jeans and high-healed sandals, "in this round, each match will last 10 minutes. Each fighter has that long to win, and I've got my picks for who wins today right here."

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Hank asked.

"Well," said Hannah, "this is just my lill' old opinion, but…"

"But we'd all love to hear it," said Lisa, "so, I'll deliver today's lineup, and you'll give us your opinion on the outcome. Sound good, Hanna?"

"Sounds great," said Hannah.

"Okay then," said Lisa, "in the first match, we have the 'Femme Fatale' Jean-Louise D'Arch, vs. 'Iron Defense' Ryoga Hibiki."

"My money is on Ryoga," said Hank, "according to his bio, he's survived more horrors in the world than I've had nightmares. I say he'll win."

"But Jean-Louise has speed on her side," said Lisa, "Ryoga may have the higher defensive prowess, but how can you defend if your enemy can get behind you faster than you can react?"

"I agree," said Hannah, "my money is on Jean-Louise."

"Well we're about to find out, folks," said Hank, "the fight is about to start."

"Okay, you cool cats," said the referee as Ryoga and Jean-Louise met each other in the middle of the ring, "you know the rules. I want a good clean fight. Obey my commands at all time, and most of all, do your best."

"I intend to do so," said Jean-Louise as she bowed to Ryoga, "_bonne chance, mon ami._"

"You're the one who's going to need the luck," said Ryoga as he bowed in return, "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you, then I'll be one step closer to facing Ranma."

"_Nous verrons_," said Jean-Louise as she took up her fighting stance, while Ryoga did the same, "we shall see."

"Let's get it on!" said the referee, while the big bell rang.

Immediately, Ryoga took the offensive as he rushed forward and tried to punch Jean-Louise in the face. She dodged it, then sidestepped and kicked Ryoga in the back. He shrugged it off and tried to punch Jean-Louise again. She dodged that and kicked him on the other side, but he barely flinched.

"We're seeing two complete opposites here, boys and girls!" said Hank, "Jean-Louise is fast, but Ryoga's tough."

"It's all a question of who wears the other out first," said Lisa, "Jean-Louise can dodge Ryoga all day, but he can endure her attacks as well."

"Hold still already!" snapped Ryoga as he threw another punch at Jean-Louise and missed.

"I'll hold still when you start clutching your belly in agony!" said Jean-Louise as she kicked Ryoga in the midsection again, but to no avail.

"Let's see if you can handle this!" said Ryoga as he drew his umbrella from his back and use it as a rapier, trusting and slashing at Jean-Louise, forcing her to keep her distance from him.

"She'd better be careful," said Ukyo, "that umbrella is heavier than it looks. It can do a lot of damage."

Jean-Louise jumped out of the way of an especially vicious umbrella thrust, which caused Ryoga to overbalance and he nearly tripped and lost hold of his umbrella. It rolled off the ring and hit the ground with a loud thud.

At that Jean-Louise laughed, "I guess that will teach you not to use weapons that will cause you a disadvantage."

"Don't laugh at me!" snapped Ryoga, his teeth gritted with rage, "You won't like me when I'm upset."

"Oh no!" said an unnerved Ukyo, "he's not going to pull _that _out already, is he?"

"With Ryoga, you never know," said Ranma.

"What's going to happen?" Sora asked.

"Something terrible," said a deeply shaken Kairi, "I can sense Ryoga's emotions all the way from here. His heart is so heavy with darkness, it's a miracle he hasn't turned into a Heartless. No, wait! It's like he's purposely filling his heart with negative energy, energy being caused by deep depression."

"It's his Ki," said Riku, "he's making it heavy on purpose. But what's he going to do with it?"

"Just watch," said Ranma, "and be ready to duck, just in case."

Ryoga had stepped back to one side of the ring and crossed his arms over his chest, all the while his body was emitting a dark aura.

"What the hell are you doing!" a confused and slightly frightened Jean-Louise asked.

The dark energy surrounding Ryoga's body began condensing as he held out his hands, forming it into a sphere, "Take this!" shouted Ryoga, "Shishi Hokodon!"

**Shishi Hokodon= Lion Roar Shot**

The dark energy in Ryoga's hands blasted forward, heading head long at Jean-Louise. She barely managed to avoid the worst of the blast, with part of it grazing her shoulder. The rest of the blast shot towards a fortunately empty area of the arena, demolishing part of the wall.

"Sweet mama on a Sunday!" exclaimed Hannah, "what was that?"

"That was a Chinese _Ki _attack," said Hank, "and a reckless one at that. This has got to be against the rules!"

"Ryoga should be disqualified for using a technique that could have endangered the audience," said Lisa, "but that's for the referee to decide."

The referee saw that nobody in the audience was hurt, then saw that Jean-Louise was getting up with only minor burns on her shoulder, "Can you continue, Ms. D'Arch?"

"I think so," said Jean-Louise as she carefully felt her shoulder, wincing slightly at the pain.

"Then I'll allow it!" said the referee.

Ryoga stood there looking emotionally drained, but still willing to fight, "had enough? Or are you thirsty for more?"

Jean-Louise looked at her scotched shoulder, then at the demolished wall, then at Ryoga. She looked as if she had just witnessed something, "you can do that again?"

"And again and again and again," said Ryoga, "as many times as necessary."

"You are insane to use such a terrible technique," said a shocked Jean-Louise, "and I'd be insane to pit myself against it again, while also risking the safety of the audience. _Je concède l'échec,_ I concede defeat."

It took the audience a few seconds to realize that the fight was over. They clapped enthusiastically for both Ryoga and Jean-Louise.

"Didn't see that one coming," said Hannah.

"Nobody saw it coming," said Lisa. "I still say Ryoga Hibiki should be disqualified for reckless behavior. And why'd Jean-Louise give up so easily?"

"It wasn't easy for her," said Hank, "that's for sure. And so after a blazing, and potentially illegal technique, Ryoga advances to the quarter finals."

"Why'd she give up like that?" Kairi asked, "now that she's seen what that blast could do, she could avoid it."

"But it would also further endanger the audience," said Riku, "and I don't think Jean-Louise was feeling so confident about trying her luck any more."

"She's a true martial artist," said Cologne, "in this case she's the more honorable fighter, for a true martial artist knows when to stop."

By then Jean-Louise had made it back to the fighters area, still clutching at her wounded shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked as she examined Jean-Louise's shoulder.

"I'm hurt in more than the physical way," said Jean-Louise. She glared at Ryoga as he made it back to the fighters area.

"Just what the hell was that that you just used?" Riku asked Ryoga.

"I'll tell you what it was," said Ranma, "that was the Shishi Hokodon, the Lion Roar Shot. It uses heavy ki generated by depression and other negative emotions."

"In other words it uses the darkness in one's heart," said Riku. He glared at Ryoga, "don't ever use that attack again!"

"Excuse me?" Ryoga asked in an insulted tone.

"We're the ones asking the questions here," said Riku.

"I have one," said Jean-Louise as se glared at Ryoga, "are you even human? For no human in their right mind would ever use negative emotions as a weapon. That is something a madman or a villain would use."

"What does being a human being have to do with this?" an irate Ryoga asked, "if I can learn to use a technique, why should I not use it? And I'm as sane as the next guy."

"That's as if you're standing next to Charles Manson," said Felicia.

"You shouldn't use that technique if it fills your heart with darkness, Ryoga" said Sora, "it'll destroy you."

"Thou hath missed quite the conversation last evening," said Tatewaki, "we spoke of many things; of other worlds and strange creatures made of living darkness."

"Heartless," said Kairi, "which is what you will become if you keep filling your heart with darkness."

"Why should you care about my heart!" Ryoga snapped, "nobody cares!"

"I care," said Ranma, "even after all the crap you've put me through, Ryoga, after all the times you've tried to kill me, all for stuff that isn't even worth getting upset over, I still think of you as a friend."

"And you've always been my friend," said Ukyo, "if what Sora and his friends say are true, then you could end up destroying yourself, Ryoga."

"I honestly don't know what all this stuff about Heartless and other worlds is all about," said Akane, "but if these guys are saying that using the Shishi Hokodon is unhealthy for you, Ryoga, that it could kill you, then you shouldn't use it anymore."

"But it's one of my strongest techniques," said Ryoga, "I can't just give it up."

"Then permit me to be perfectly frank with you," said Jean-Louise, "you will **never **use that technique again, _ou j'arracherai vos globes oculaires et viol de crâne vous avec une brindille irrégulière!"_

"What'd she say?" Ranma asked.

"Trust me," said Ukyo, "you don't want to know.

"Something about ripping his eyes out," said Kairi, "after that it gets a little too graphic for my taste."

Just then one of the tournament officials walked over, "what's going on here? Sounds like you two are going to keep fighting," he said to Ryoga and Jean-Louise.

"I have no intentions to do that," said Jean-Louise.

"Just an argument," said Ryoga.

"Well, keep it quiet," said the official. He then looked at Sora and Tatewaki, "you two are up next."

"At last," said Tatewaki as he eagerly stood up, "we shall see whom shall have the honor of dating the living goddess that is Kairi."

"I'm gonna make you regret every thinking about Kairi," said an irate Sora.

"Just calm down, Sora," said Kairi, "he's not worth getting upset," she then spoke telepathically, _:but nothing would make me happier than for you to take this poser down a few notches.:_

_:Your wish is my command,: _said Sora. He then spoke out loud to Tatewaki, "let's go."

"Alright," said Hank, "after an explosive first match of the day, we're ready to start the second match; 'The Blue Thunder, The Rising Star of Kendo,' Tatewaki Kuno!"

"Ya' think he's got enough nicknames," said Hannah.

"Well here's one that needs no introduction," said Lisa, "Sora. Here's one who came out of nowhere and flew through the preliminaries."

"He's got my support," said Hank, "according to his profile, he was taught by Nodoka Saotome, one of the best sword masters in the world."

"Well that should count for something," said Lisa, "but my money is on that delicious hunk, Tatewaki. He may not be the brightest star in the cosmos, but never lost an official Kendo tournament. If it comes down to swordsman vs. swordsman, he'll win."

"Well, I'm picking Sora," said Hannah, "I was wrong about the last match, but this is what my gut says to pick."

"Ready to lose $5,000?" Rico asked.

"That's something you should ask yourself," said Aiden.

"You can forget about ever touching Kairi!" said Sora as he and Tatewaki bowed and took up their fighting stances, "she and I are together, and nothing you or anyone else can say or do can ever break us apart!"

"We shall see!" said Tatewaki, "We shall see!"

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Sora and Tatewaki rushed at each other and met in the middle of the ring, their swords clacking against each other loudly as they tried to break past each others defenses.

"Good Golly Aunt Dolly!" said Hannah, "they're fast!"

"I can't tell who's winning!" said Kairi.

"From where I'm standing," said Ranma, "they look about equal!"

"You're pretty good!" said Sora as he blocked a thrust aimed at his head, then countered with a spinning strike at Tatewaki's left side, which he blocked.

"I hath trained with a sword since I was able to stand," said Tatewaki as he again tried to strike Sora on the head, but was blocked, then had to block a side strike aimed at him, "thou art no slouch either!"

"I had a great teacher," said Sora as he feinted to the left, then aimed for the right. But Tatewaki saw past the bluff and blocked Sora, then tried again for Sora's head.

"They both seem to be on an even level, folks!" said Hank, "from where I'm sitting, it looks like they'll go the distance."

"But if they don't land any solid hits when the time runs out," said Hannah, "how will the judges determine who is the winner?"

"If they're out of time and there's no clear winner," said Lisa, "then the match will go to sudden death. Whoever drops from exhaustion first is the winner."

"In that case," said Hannah, "this could go on all day."

Both Sora and Roxas sensed the predicament they were in, :_If you don't figure out how to end this soon, it might never end. You'd better stop pulling your punches and start taking this seriously.:_

_:I've been taking this seriously,:_ said Sora, :_but you're right. It's time to pull out the stops.:_

"Alright, Blue Blunder," said Sora out loud, "let's see what you make of this!" he then High Jumped over Tatewaki. He landed behind the bewildered swordsman and struck him on the back, upsetting Tatewaki's balance.

"Incredible!" said an astonished Hank, "Sora just jumped over Tatewaki and finally delivered a solid hit!"

"Where'd he learn to jump like that?" Ukyo asked Riku.

"From experience," said Riku, "and from vanquishing countless Heartless and thousands of Nobodies."

"What are Nobodies?" Ranma asked, "you didn't talk about them last night."

"Long story," said Kairi.

Tatewaki had then recovered and tried to rush at Sora again. Sora jumped over Tatewaki, letting the swordsman continue to run forward and nearly trip over the edge of the ring.

"Is that all you've got?" Sora asked, "'cause if it is, well, then there really isn't much to say about you, is there?"

"I shall smite thee, infidel!" exclaimed Tatewaki. He ran at Sora headlong, his sword raised high to bash Sora's head in.

Sora used the Quick Run ability to get behind Tatewaki and smack him on the bottom with his wooden Keyblade, knocking Tatewaki off balance enough to send him flying out of the ring. He landed on the floor head first and stuck there completely upside down while balancing on his head.

"Out!" said the referee, "the winner is Sora!"

The audience went wild.

"I certainly did not see that one coming, folks!" said Lisa, "Sora pulled off a blazing display of speed and the Blue Blunder wound up landing on his inflated head."

"I thought you liked him," said Hannah.

"I still do," said Lisa, "but I'm just doing my job."

"Leave some of the heckling to me," said Hank, "and with that, boys and girls, Sora advances to the quarter finals."

"You okay?" Sora asked as he jumped down from the ring. Tatewaki was still on his head, a look of confusing on his inverted face.

"How can this be?" Tatewaki asked, "how could I have lost to a mere child?" With that he fell facedown on the floor.

"I'm almost 16," said Sora as he helped Tatewaki stand up, "and if you paid attention from what we talked about last night, then you'd know that I've got more than my fair share of experience under my belt."

At that Tatewaki sighed, "then thou art truly a master swordsman. I acknowledge thy superiority."

"I'm just lucky," said Sora, "lucky to have had my friends with me, and lucky to have had a great teacher. Now, about you dating Kairi…"

"Say no more," said Tatewaki, "thou hath proven thy self to be a worthy lover of the red-headed warrior. I shall not press the issue further."

"Then we're friends?" Sora asked as he held out his hand.

"Friends we shall be," said Tatewaki as he shook Sora's hand. At that the audience went wild again.

"Pay up, small fry!" Aiden said triumphantly, "Sora won his match, so that's $5,000!"

"No big deal," said Rico as he passed Aiden the stack of money, "so I lost one measly bet. There's still one more to be settled."

"You might as well give me that cash now and save yourself the trouble," said Aiden, "Riku's gonna win his match without a doubt."

"Are you sure about that?" Rico asked slyly, "want to make it even more interesting?"

"Double or nothing?" Aiden asked, "$10,000 on Riku's match?"

"I was thinking triple or nothing," said Rico as he pulled out another wad of cash and counted off another $10,000 so now there was $15,000 in front of him, "this way I get back what my own and clean you for everything, all in one shot."

"Assuming Riku loses," said Aiden as he pushed his winnings and his original gold forward, "alright then," he pressed his wrists, "let's do this! Triple or nothing on Riku vs. Mousse!"

"There's still a few matches first before they fight," said Jake.

"Alright," said an eager Jackson as he saw who was fighting next on the tournament brackets, "Girl on girl throw down!"

"Next up we have two very talented ladies," said Lisa, "Ukyo Kunoji, a highly acclaimed okonomiyaki chef who has successfully adapted spatulas as weapons."

"Her opponent will be the dame from down under, Julia Eckhart," said Hank, "a Muay Thai adapt with a killer cobra punch!"

"My money's on Ukyo," said Hannah, "she's gonna serve Julia for lunch. I hear that when cooked right, snake can be pretty tasty."

"Well I think we're all about to be served one heck of a fight," said Lisa.

The referee had explained the rules to Ukyo and Julia. Julia was using the minute before the fight began to perform her pre-fight ritual of the Ram Muay dance, while Ukyo stretched and limbered up.

Finally ready, the two female fighters bowed to each other.

"I'm gonna cook you alive!" said Ukyo confidently as she took up a fighting stance with two of her smaller spatulas in her hands, while her larger spatula lay slung across her back.

"You'll have to catch me first," said Julia as she took up her fighting stance, all the while smiling confidently.

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Ukyo started off by throwing her spatulas at Julia, then drawing another pair from her shoulder bandolier. Julia dodged the spatulas, then tried to rush in to attack, her left elbow raised to smash Ukyo's face in.

Ukyo blocked the elbow strike, then swung her right-hand spatula at Julia, who dodged it. Julia then tried to punch Ukyo, but she blocked it with her spatulas.

Julia then tried a low kick aimed at Ukyo's left leg to set her off balance. Ukyo blocked the kick with her left-hand spatula, then tried to hit Julia with the right-hand spatula, which she blocked with her right forearm.

Julia then tried to hit Ukyo with a devastating uppercut. Ukyo blocked it with her spatulas, but they got knocked out of her hands.

Ukyo jumped out of the way of another elbow strike and drew her big spatula from her back and swung it at Julia. She dodged it and tried to aim a kick at Ukyo's midsection, but had to get out of the way of another spatula swing.

"We're at an impasse here, people!" said Hank, "Julia clearly has the edge on speed and striking power, but Ukyo has the better defense."

"All that power is useless if Julia can't get close enough to attack," said Lisa, "she has to get pass Ukyo's spatula."

"Talk about going nowhere fast," said Hannah.

But then Ukyo overbalanced from a spatula swing and nearly tripped. This was the opening Julia was looking for. She moved in and delivered an elbow chop to Ukyo's left arm, forcing her to drop the spatula. Julia then delivered a knee kick to Ukyo's midsection, followed by an elbow strike to Ukyo's forehead, then stepped back to have enough room to deliver a devastating cobra punch that dropped Ukyo like a ton of bricks.

The referee then began counting, "one!…Two!…"

"Ukyo, get up!" shouted Ryoga.

"Get up, Ucchan!" said Ranma.

"Three!…Four!…"

Ukyo then began to get back up, but then tripped over herself and wound back up on her back and didn't get up again. The referee then declared it a TKO, making Julia the winner.

The audience went wild.

"How's that for home cooking folks!" said Hank.

"I honestly didn't see that coming," said Hannah, "I thought Ukyo would win with her spatula."

"Even the best of us are wrong," said Lisa, "and so Julia leaves Ukyo burning on the stove and advances to the quarter finals."

"You alright?" Julia asked as she helped Ukyo up. She held up her hand with three fingers showing, "how many do you see?"

"Umm…?" said a still dazed Ukyo, "I'm still trying to decide how many of you there are."

"You'll be alright," said a grinning Julia, "you're lucky, not many blokes manage to stay awake after one of me cobra punches."

"Well, your cobra hisses more than she bites," said Ukyo, "or maybe I'm look then I tougher." she blinked in confusion, "I'm hoping that soon off wears."

At that Julia laughed heartily, "you're okay in me book."

"You're so bad yourself not," said Ukyo. With that they both laughed shook hands while the audience applauded loudly.

"You sure you're alright, Ucchan?" Ranma asked as Julia helped Ukyo back to the fighter's area.

"A dizzy I'm little," said Ukyo as she sat down, while two medics checked her over to make sure there wasn't any danger from her injuries.

"It's a mild concussion," said one of the medics after scanning her head, "but nothing life-threatening," he then used the healing device on Ukyo's head, "Just make sure you stay off your feet for a while and you'll be alright."

"Thank goodness," said Ian. Sora then saw the Texan relax in his seat. Sora then realized that Ian had indeed been tense all during the fight, his hands clenched in nervous anticipation.

"I didn't know you cared, Ian Donovan," said a smiling Ukyo.

"Well, I…that is…" said a blushing Ian, "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"Sure you did," said a sarcastic Ukyo.

"Looks like someone has a crush on your best friend," said Kairi to Ranma.

"I'll tell you this, mate," said Julia to Ranma, "your friend is in good hands. Ian's an honest bloke if there ever was one." She then looked at Adam, "and this one is just as honest."

"We're up next, Ranma Saotome," said Adam, "a little earlier than I thought; I had hoped we would meet in the final round and make our battle that much more spectacular. But now is as good as any time to see which of our arts is the better."

"Your Shaolin Kung Fu vs. my Anything Goes," said Ranma as he grinned eagerly, "no reason why we can't make things spectacular now."

"Indeed," said Adam, "and I will make this promise to you now, a promise between men; our battle will be an honest and honorable one. I swear I will not use any dirty tricks or subterfuge to win," he suspiciously eyed Kodatchi, Ryoga and Mousse, "unlike some people I know."

"What are you talking about?" Kodatchi asked in an insulted tone, "I always play by the rules!"

"Yeah right," said Sora, Riku, Kairi, Tatewaki, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and Ryoga.

"That's really decent of you," said Ranma to Adam, "It's been a long time since I've had a real, honest battle without any crazy rules or with the other guy using some weird style against me. And it'd be really nice if I didn't have to worry about dirty fighting."

"Since when have I ever fought dirty?" Mousse asked, "I always stay true to my art."

"Ignore them, darling," said Felicia, "they're just trying to psyche us out."

"Speaking of psyching you out," said Riku, "you'd better win your match against the lunatic," he eyed Kodatchi.

"And why would you want me to win?" Felicia asked.

"So I can win in my match," said Riku, "and face you in the next round, so I can avenge my friend, Aiden."

"Is he still sore about my beating him in the last round of the prelims?" Felicia asked.

"It'll make him feel better if I knock you out of the tournament," said Riku.

"You'll have to go through me first," said Mousse, "no way am I letting you fight my soul mate now that we've finally found her!"

"But if you beat Riku," said Sora, "and if Felicia beats Kodatchi, then you'll have to fight each other in the next round."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Felicia.

Just then one of the tournament officials walked up to say that the next round was about to start.

"This is it," said Ranma. He looked at Adam, "you promised me an honest and honorable fight. The only thing I can do is promise the same."

"Let's also promise to do our best," said Adam.

"Agreed," said Ranma.

"And now we've got one of the most anticipated match-ups of this round, people!" said Hank, "Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes style vs. Adam Callahan of Shaolin Kung Fu."

"Both use styles that are highly adaptable to whatever situation the fighter is in," said Lisa, "and both are relatively equal in speed, offense and defense."

"I honestly don't know who will win," said Hannah, "but all we can do is watch."

Adam and Ranma were in the ring and had just bowed to each other. They took up their fighting stances.

"Let's get it on!" said the referee while the big bell rang.

Adam and Ranma rushed forward and met each other in the middle of the ring and began exchanging a fury of punches and kicks. Both fighters managed to block the majority of the others attacks, but they both managed to get a few solid hits in.

"These guys are going at it like two raccoons after the same apple!" said Hannah.

"But it looks like they're having the time of their lives," said Lisa.

"You have to see it to believe it, folks!" said Hank, "Ranma and Adam are actually smiling as they beat the crap out of each other!"

"They promised each other a fair fight," said Riku, "and they're enjoying it."

"These two are a rare breed indeed," said Cologne in an appreciative manner, "both Ranma and Adam are true lovers of martial arts and are able to fully immerse themselves into their arts. A truly stunning sight, to see such people."

"But they're hardly using their full potential," said Nodoka, "I know my son is capable of so much more, and I could tell from before that Adam has much more potential. Right now they're just sizing each other up."

"But Sensei!" said Sora, "the round is only 10 minutes long! At this rate they'll run out of time before they really start to get serious."

"I think Adam's about to get serious right now," said Kyle.

"You're a far more complicated person than I believed you to be, Ranma," said Adam as he and Ranma continued to exchange blows.

"You're deeper than you look too," said Ranma.

"I'd love to go all out with you," said Adam, "but then you'd go all out as well, and by then the fight would have run out of time. I'd really like to see you at your full power, Ranma Saotome, but this match is running short, so give it a spectacular ending that the people will love!"

He then jumped back a pace, "Take this! No Shadow Kick!" he then began kicking Ranma in the torso so fast that the movements were barely a blur. Ranma was completely bowled over by the ferocious barrage from Adam, knocking him to the ground, which earned a wild cheer from the audience.

"Sweet nutty niblets!" said Hannah, "That's gotta hurt!"

"Unbelievable!" said Hank, "Adam just blew Ranma completely away!"

"He's not out of the fight yet!" said Lisa.

Ranma managed to get back onto his feet before the referee counted to 2. He then told the referee that he was okay to continue.

"That was awesome!" said Ranma to Adam as they circled each other cautiously, "you really are great!"

"You are great as well," said an impressed Adam, "not many have been able to get back up again after my No Shadow Kick."

"Well, I guess I'm special," said Ranma, "and speaking of special attacks, wanna see one of mine?"

"You have more than one?" Adam asked, "wait, of course you have more than one, any martial artist worth his salt should have more than one special attack."

"I'd like to see more of yours," said Ranma, "but it's time I showed you mine! Take this! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"

**Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken= Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire**

Ranma began punching Adam so fast that Adam couldn't block Ranma's fists at all.

"So fast!" said an awed Riku.

"Fast enough to grab a roasting chestnut out of an open fire without burning his hands," said Cologne, "I should know, I taught Ranma that technique."

The sheer barrage of punches Ranma was throwing at Adam knocked him to the floor with enough force that he didn't get up until almost to the count of 8.

Adam told the referee that he was alright and the fight went on.

"Unbelievable, people!" said Hank, "both fighters have used their special attacks and both are still standing! This is what martial arts is all about! Two fighters giving it their all!"

"I can't risk blinking!" said Lisa as she held her eyes open.

"Me neither!" said Hannah.

"Incredible!" said Adam to Ranma, "that had to have been the most punches I've been hit by at any given time. How did you get so fast?"

"It's a long story," said Ranma, "maybe I'll tell you about it when you tell me how you could kick like Wong Fei Hung."

"I might just do that," said Adam, "but right now we have a match to finish, and we're running out of time."

"Then let's give the people what they want!" said Ranma He and Adam then backed up to opposite ends of the ring, "one all out rush!"

"I'm game!" said a ginning Adam.

"Then let's do it!" said Ranma as he also smiled eagerly. The two of them rushed at each other, but then jumped in the air and met in the middle above the ring and unleashed their special attacks.

"_Wúyingjiao!"_

"_Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"_

They then landed at opposite ends of the ring and stood there for a second or two.

Ranma then stumbled and clutched at his side, feeling a fractured rib or two, but Adam doubled over in pain and collapsed to the floor. The referee checked him over and declared a knockout, causing the audience to go wild.

"And there you have it, boys and girls!" said Hank, "after a brilliant display of fighting abilities, Ranma Saotome has emerged the victor and advances to the quarter finals!"

Ranma helped Adam stand back up. Adam was more than a little dizzy, but he was able to keep his footing as they both bowed to each other. Adam smiled and held up Ranma's arm, acknowledging him as the winner to the thunderous applause of the audience.

They both then headed back to the fighters area.

"Ranma Darling!" shouted an overjoyed Kodatchi, "I knew you'd win!"

"Shampoo had no doubt," said the purple-haired Amazon.

"No contest," said Ukyo.

Akane just stood there, looking like she had no idea whether to be happy, sad or angry that Ranma won.

"You were awesome!" said Sora to Ranma.

"How'd you do that?" Kairi asked, "punch so fast?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said Adam as he sat down and let the medics check him over.

"What happened there?" Kyle asked, "you so had this match!"

"I was sure your No Shadow Kick would be the superior technique," said Jean-Louise.

"So did I," said Adam, "but apparently Ranma had the edge the whole time. Even though neither of us were able to bring our full potential to the battle, it was clear he was in control."

"How so?" Riku asked.

"Speed," said Cologne, "while Adam had a slight edge in striking power, an edge that only an experience martial artist would have noticed, Son-In-Law was much faster, and that speed is what made him win."

"Truer words couldn't have been spoken, honored elder," said Adam, "I was fast, but Ranma was faster."

"Don't count yourself out so easily," said Ranma, "you were pretty fast yourself. If you were just a bit faster, we'd both be on the ground."

"You may be right," said Adam, "one day we will find out the truth, when we both have the time to fight again at our full strength, then we shall see who is truly the best."

"That would be me!" said Kodatchi.

"I beg your freaking pardon?" an irate Felicia asked.

At that Kodatchi laughed cruelly, "my dear friend from Boston, the winner of this tournament is right before you, for only a delicate but lethal flower such as myself has any right to win."

"Is that a fact," said an irate Felicia, "well let me tell you something, sister, I'm gonna tear you a new one!"

"How can you do that," said Kodatchi in a mischievous tone, "if your hands are broken during the battle? And who knows what may happen before the fight? After all, accidents happen."

"Don't even think about it, sister!" snapped Tatewaki, "thou woulds be disqualified if thou were to employ thy usual trickery."

"Whatever do you mean, brother dear?" Kodatchi asked in an innocent tone.

"He means you're a dirty, rotten cheater," said Felicia, "and if you think you can get away with pulling a fast one so I'd either lose of forfeit, you've got another freaking thing coming! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go sit somewhere where you can't try to poison me or something like that." she then sat as far away from Kodatchi as she could.

"Is my reputation that soiled?" Kodatchi asked in a hurt tone, while crocodile tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Without a doubt, you crazy witch," said Mousse as he and Riku headed for the arena.

"And now we're up to the fifth match of the day, boys ad girls!" said Hank, "Riku another student of Nodoka Saotome, vs. Mousse of the Chinese Amazons!"

"Riku's performance during the preliminaries displayed a fierce attacking style," said Lisa, "while Mousse's prowess in Slight of Hand martial arts makes him equally ferocious."

"Call me crazy," said Hannah, "but both are equally magical in their own styles."

"This is it," said a grinning Aiden to Rico, "get ready to lose a whole lot of money."

"Maybe so," said Rico, "and maybe, just maybe, you're the one who's going home with his pockets empty."

"I'm the kind of person whose pockets don't stay empty for too long," said Aiden.

"Really," said an intrigued Rico, "what's your secret?"

"I'd tell you," said Aiden, "but then I'd have to kill you."

"Yeah right," said Rico.

"Oh whatever!" said Jackson, "just get your money straight already! The fight is about to start!"

"I'll make a pact with you," said Mousse to Riku as they stood in the ring, "whomever wins this match will give it their all in the next round, no matter whom their opponent is. I know Felicia would never forgive her opponent if he didn't give it his all."

"Agreed," said Riku, "but what if Kodatchi wins the next match?"

"Then one of us would be honor bound to kick that psychopath out of the tournament," said Mousse.

"That I can promise with all my heart," said Riku as he and Mousse took up their fighting stances, "that maniac needs to be taken down a notch."

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Mousse pulled out from his sleeves several plastic shuriken and threw them at Riku. He blocked them with his wooden Keyblade, but then had to dodge more plastic throwing stars and other plastic throwing weapons. Mousse seemed to had an endless supply of such weapons up his sleeves.

"What is this?" Hannah asked, "a martial arts tournament or a magic show?"

"The hand is quicker than the eye," said Lisa, "but is Riku fast enough to keep up?"

"And what else does Mousse have up his sleeves?" Hank asked.

"You can't attack me if you can't get close!" said Mousse as he threw more plastic blunt objects at Riku.

"You can't attack me either if you just throw stuff at me!" said Riku as he blocked another set of shuriken, "we're gonna waste the round this way!"

"You're right!" said Mousse, "time to get serious!" from up his sleeves he pulled out a rubber chicken.

"That's your idea of getting serious?" a dumbfounded Riku asked.

"Hey, every magic act should have an element of slapstick," said Riku, "so here's the magic!" he then threw the rubber chicken at Riku, but halfway it changed into several egg-shaped water balloons. Riku wound up getting drenched when one of them got past his Keyblade. "And that's the slapstick!"

"You have a really weird sense of humor," said Riku as he brushed his soaked hair out of his eyes.

"And now for the really serious part!" said Mousse. He then pulled out a wooden staff that had a large fist at one end, "I'm gonna knock you senseless!"

"Come and get me!" said Riku as he hefted his Keyblade.

Mousse charged at Riku with his staff held high. He then swung the staff down fist-end first, aiming to bash Riku on the head. Riku blocked the staff sling and rushed forward to strike Mousse on the side of the head.

Mousse blocked Riku's attack, but then Riku swung his Keyblade up, disarming Mousse of his staff. Mousse then held his arms out and a pair of plastic blades exploded from his sleeves, "Two is better than one!"

Mousse was about to rush at Riku, but then he slipped on some of the water on the floor and landed on a water balloon that didn't break with Riku blocked it. But when Mousse fell on the balloon, it broke then and soaked him. In the blink of an eye, Mousse had transformed into a slightly wet and very angry duck.

"Something-something-something say what?" said a shocked Hannah.

"I've heard of being mad as a wet hen," said a dumbfounded Lisa, "but this takes the cake."

"Well it looks like the fight is over, people," said Hank, "ain't no way Mousse can continue like this."

But then Mousse angrily quacked and began throwing more plastic shuriken and other blunt objects at Riku that were hidden within his feathers. It was all Riku could do to avoid getting hit by the furious barrage of throwing items.

"I'll allow it!" said the referee.

"Then it's time I got serious!" said Riku. He then used his Dark Shield to block the items Mousse kept throwing at him.

"Riku's using some sort of force field to defend himself!" said Lisa, "talk about magic!"

"This is one of the craziest things I've ever seen," said Hannah, "and I've seen crazy, believe me."

"Oh I believe you," said Hank, "but as for this fight, is a force field even allowed?"

"No fair!" said Rico, "no way they're going to allow that!"

"They let Mousse continue when he got turned into a duck," said Jake, "so it's only fair that they let Riku use this force field of his."

"Admit it, Rico," said a grinning Jackson, "this is one bet you've lost."

"I should just taking my winnings now," said Aiden, "save you the trouble and humiliation of handing them over."

"It's not over yet," said Rico, "we don't even know if this move is legal."

"Is that shield part of your fighting style?" the referee asked Riku.

"It is," said Riku.

"Then I'll allow it!" said the referee.

An outraged Mousse then flew straight at Riku and began pecking at him with his bill. Riku managed to swat Mousse aside with his Keyblade after a few seconds of this.

Mousse recovered in midair and flapped back down to the floor. He then pulled out a thermos full of steaming hot water. Using his bill, he opened the thermos and prepared to dump the hot water on his head, thereby turning him back into a human.

But then Mousse slipped again on the water already on the floor, accidentally throwing the thermos into the air. It landed smack dab on his head and dumped the hot contents all over him. Mousse was human again, but knocked completely unconscious.

"He's out!" said the referee, "Riku is the winner!"

The audience, confused over this turn of events, still applauded Riku nonetheless.

"Well this was certainly the weirdest match we've had yet, people," said Hank, "Mousse gets turned into a duck and winds up knocking himself out, and Riku advances to the quarterfinals by default."

"I've got a feeling that things are just going to get weirder from here on out," said Lisa.

"Ya think?" Hannah asked.

"And that's two for two, small fry!" said Aiden triumphantly to Rico, "Pay up!"

"But Riku didn't really win," said Rico, "Mousse knocked himself out. The bet didn't say anything about that."

"But Riku is in the next round of the tournament," said Jake.

"Sorry, pal," said Jackson with mock sympathy, "looks like you've been taken to the cleaners."

"Oh yeah," said a very happy Aiden as he counted his winnings, "this will definitely count as a down payment of my dream house."

"So you're looking to buy a house," said a sly sounding Rico. He then pulled out more money, "care to try for the complete payment?"

"No thanks!" said Aiden as he stuffed his winnings into his pockets, "I know when to press my luck and when not to. I'm calling it quits before you try to pull a fast one on me."

"Now why would I do that?" Rico asked innocently.

"Because you're a greedy little monster with no sense of human decency," said Jackson.

"And you're short," said Jake.

"I said he was little," said Jackson.

"Well he is," said Jake.

"That wasn't exactly how I hoped to win," said Riku as he helped Mousse back to the fighters area.

"Luck of the draw," muttered Mousse as he searched his pockets for his glasses, "oh man! I must have left them in the ring.

"Don't ever say I never did anything for you," said Riku as he handed Mousse's glasses to the myopic Amazon.

"Thanks," said Mousse as he put his glasses on.

"You okay, darling?" Felicia asked as Mousse sat down.

"Nothing hurt but my pride," said Mousse. He then felt his head where the thermos hit him, "well there's that too."

"Oh poor baby," said Felicia. She kissed his head, "there, all better?"

"Much better," said Mousse as he kissed Felicia.

"If you're done making fools of yourselves," said Kodatchi as she stood up, "we have a match up next, Ms. Valentine. I hope you are prepared."

"Prepared to make you look like a fool all over the world," said Felicia as she stood up, "let's get this show on the road!"

"Be very careful around her," said Mousse to Felicia, "Kodatchi isn't one to be taken lightly."

"Neither am I, babe," said a smiling Felicia, "remember, I wrestle water buffalo!"

"Next up we have another pair of girls ready to duke it out!" said Hank, "Eskrima user Felicia 'The Butcher of Boston' Valentine, vs. Rhythmic Gymnastic martial artist Kodatchi 'The Black Rose' Kuno."

"Just when you think they couldn't come up with more vicious nicknames," said Lisa.

"You should hear what my daddy and Uncle Earl call each other when they fight over the last slice of pie during Thanksgiving dinner," said Hannah, "talk about things getting ugly."

"Isn't that the girl who beat you in the last round of the preliminaries?" Jake asked.

"That's here alright," said an irate Aiden. "But I honestly don't know who to cheer for; her or the psychopath."

"Psychopath?" both Jake and Jackson asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, that one," said Aiden as he pointed at Kodatchi as she and Felicia stepped into the ring, "that psychopath. And from what I heard, she's a cheater to boot."

"Oh," said both Jake and Jackson in relieved tones. Aiden looked at them suspiciously for a second before focusing on the fight.

"Alright, ladies," said the referee, "this fight has one extra rule; no cat fighting. If I see either one of you trying to claw the other's eyes out, you'll be out of here faster than you can blink!"

"I have no need for such callous tactics," said Kodatchi as she stood with one hand holding a gymnastic club and the other holding her ribbon.

"Me neither," said Felicia as she stood with her sticks held out, "let's get it on!"

"Only I get to say that!" said the referee, "now, let's get it on!" with that the big bell rang.

"You my be strong, for an American," said Kodatchi as she and Felicia circled each other, waiting for an opening, "but let's see if you can handle," she dropped her ribbon and drew out another club, "A Thousand Clubs!" she then began thrusting her hands so fast that it seemed that there were a thousands clubs.

Felicia managed to block the clubs with her sticks, "is that the best you can do, psycho?"

"You have yet to see my best!" said Kodatchi. She threw her clubs at Felicia to as a distraction, then drew out a hula-hoop and threw it.

Felicia blocked the clubs and hoop, then rushed at Kodatchi to bash her in the head with her sticks.

Kodatchi gracefully lept out of the way and threw a large red ball at Felicia. Felicia blocked the ball, but this was only a distraction that allowed Kodatchi to jump behind Felicia and grab her around the waist with her ribbon.

Showing an incredible feat of strength and aerobic skill, Kodatchi used her ribbon to throw a surprised Felicia out of the ring.

"Out!" said the referee as Felicia hit the floor several yards away, "the winner is Kodatchi Kuno!"

The audience went wild.

"What an flashy performance, boys and girls!" said Hank, "in a dazzling display of rhythmic gymnastics, The Black Rose has defeated The Butcher of Boston and advances to the quarterfinals!"

"If I didn't know any better," said Lisa, "I'd say Kodatchi Kuno did cheat. But that's for the officials to decide, and if Felicia wishes to protest."

"Doesn't look like she's in a protesting mood to me," said Hannah.

"Looks like you've got your revenge after all," said Rico to Aiden.

"I wouldn't wish that psycho witch on anyone," said Aiden, "Felicia Valentine deserved to win this match, not that maniac Kodatchi. Felicia may have knocked me out of the tournament, but she's a much better person than that cheating psychopath."

"I'm with you on that one," said Jake.

"Are you alright?" Mousse asked as he helped Felicia back to the fighters area, a dumbfounded look on her face.

"How?" Felicia asked as she sat down. She wasn't hurt, but she looked like she had just 'seen the elephant.' "How could I loose to a freaking psychopath?"

"You simply underestimated her," said Riku in a sympathetic tone, "a freaking psychopath can be really unpredictable."

"But…but I wrestle water buffalo," said Felicia.

"Well, nobody's perfect," said Mousse, "even Hannah Montana knows that."

At that Felicia smiled appreciatively.

Kodatchi meanwhile was strutting around like a peacock in front of Tatewaki, "aren't you going to congratulate me on my victory, brother dear? I thought that, having you yourself lost, would at least be glad that one member of our family will still win the tournament."

"At least I deserved my failure," said Tatewaki in tone full of contempt for his sister, "where as you hardly earn anything."

"I agree," said Ian as he walked up, "I don't know how you did it, I don't know how you fooled the referee or the tournament officials, but you cheated, Kodatchi Kuno. I may not be able to prove it, but you did."

"How dare you!" snapped Kodatchi, "I won this match fair and square, and my darling Ranma would agree with me to the living end," she looked at Ranma in a hopeful manner, "right, Ranma darling?"

"I'm not even gonna get involved," said Ranma.

"But I am," said Riku as he looked at Kodatchi, "I'm facing you tomorrow, and believe me when I say that your dirty tricks won't work."

"Whatever do you mean?" Kodatchi asked as she ran her fingers through her hair seductively.

"It means you can turn off the mojo," said an irate Riku, "I'm immune. An I'm also immune to your dirty tricks. Tomorrow will be a fair fight, whether you like it or now."

"Is that a fact," said Kodatchi, "well then, we'll see who is in the right tomorrow." with that she sat down next to her brother, but Tatewaki stood up to go sit somewhere else.

"That there is a whole lot of woman," said Kyle as he looked at Kodatchi, "crazy as a loon, but cute as hell, don't 'cha know."

"I'll admit it," said Riku, "she is cute, but not my type."

Just then the tournament official walked up to say the next match was about to start.

"Oh," said Sora. He and the others then saw that Tom Smith was there with them, "I almost forgot he was there."

"He's so creepy," said Kairi as Tom smith walked past them without looking at them, "but I'm not sensing anything from him, just…emptiness."

"It's like he's not even there," said Riku, "what's with this guy? Wait, I think that emptiness is there on purpose, that it's only there to block something else."

"To mask something worse," said Kairi, "but what?"

"I don't know," said Sora, "but it can't be good."

"I don't like this strange fighter either," said Cologne. She looked at Shampoo, "granddaughter, be careful. That man is dangerous."

"Shampoo be careful, great-grandmother," said the purple-haired Amazon as she held her bombori war clubs, "Shampoo win this and be back before you know it."

"Those brats are starting to suspect that there's something going on," said Ursula.

"Relax already," said Hades, "by the time they even come close to realizing that we're here, it'll be too late. Our champ is gonna tear this town apart once he wins the tournament."

"Speaking of which," said Ursula, "is the other problem fixed? Are we going to have a repeat of yesterday?"

"Give it a break already, toots," said Hades, "I've got our guy completely under control."

"And here's fight number 7 of the day, folks," said Hank, "Shampoo of the Chinese Amazons, a very cute girl if I say so myself, vs. the mysterious and insidious Tom Smith."

"Both have shown outstanding fighting abilities in the prelims," said Lisa, "and both are well balanced in speed, offence and defense. But in this match, my vote goes to Shampoo. Tom Smith will be at a disadvantage going against those war clubs of Shampoo."

"She's got my vote as well," said Hannah.

The two fighters faced each other in the ring while the referee explained the rules.

Shampoo was a little unnerved by the silent expression displayed by Tom Smith. He then looked at her and the emptiness in his eyes chilled her to the bone.

But then her Chinese Amazon heritage asserted itself as she confidently took up her fighting stance, "Shampoo not afraid of quiet fighter. Shampoo win this easily!"

All Tom Smith did was smile, and that unnerved Shampoo again.

"Don't let this guy freak you out, Shampoo!" shouted Kairi, "you're so better than him!"

"Kick him inside out!" said Ranma.

This restored Shampoo's confidence again and she smiled, "I ready!"

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Tom Smith rushed at Shampoo and tried to kick her in the head. Shampoo blocked with her left club, then countered with her right, aiming to bash him in the head. Tom Smith blocked the club, then aimed to punch Shampoo in the face. She dodged it and tried a leg sweep, but he jumped over it and aimed a kick at her torso, which she blocked.

"This are really heating up in here, boys and girls!" said Hank.

"These two fighters are too evenly matched to call it, people!" said Lisa.

"It's like two wildcats after the same mouse!" said Hannah.

But then Tom Smith seemed to make a mistake as he put too much effort into one punch and overbalanced. Shampoo took this as an opening and swung her left club dead on at his head with enough force to break through a brick wall.

"Sweet Niblets!" said Hannah, "That's got to hurt!"

But Tom Smith withstood the blow as if it were a caressing feather.

"Sweet niblets is right!" said Lisa, "I think Shampoo is in trouble."

"It's not over yet!" said Hank.

Shampoo then swung her other club at Tom Smith's head, but it did nothing as it hit him. She then kicked him in the head, but he just stood there like nothing was happening.

"No way!" said Sora.

"Inconceivable!" said Mousse, "Nothing can take that kind of punishment from Shampoo and still be standing!"

"Nothing human that is," said a grim-faced Riku.

"I'm beginning to agree with you, young one," said Cologne in an equally grim tone.

"I think you should end this before Shampoo gets hurt," said Kairi, "you're her trainer as well as her great-grandmother. I'm sorry, but I think it's best that you throw in the towel."

"I agree," said Nodoka, "end this, Cologne, before something both you and Shampoo will regret happens."

"I can't do that," said Cologne, "it's against the creed of the Chinese Amazons for a trainer to force her student to give up. I understand that this situation may get out of hand, but there's nothing I can do. Besides, my great-granddaughter would never forgive me if I interrupted her fight."

"Not even if her wellbeing was on the line?" a frantic Adam asked.

"What's gotten the burr under your saddle, man?" Ian asked.

"Just the undeniable sensation that something terrible is about to happen," said Adam.

Shampoo was still trying to knock the unmoving Tom Smith down, but he refused to budge an inch. Even after Shampoo broke her clubs on his face, Tom Smith still wouldn't even flinch.

"Is that all you've got, little girl?" Tom Smith asked an a voice that reverberated with pure malice that broke through his emptiness.

"He can talk!" said a shocked Kyle, "the bloody bastard can talk!"

Shampoo merely stared at Tom Smith as if she had just heard the devil himself speak.

"This is bad," said a very worried Kairi, "this is very bad. Now I'm starting to feel like something terrible is about to happen."

"I sense that too!" said Sora, while Riku grimly nodded.

"Stop the fight, Cologne!" said Nodoka, "before it's too late." But the ancient matriarch defiantly ignored her.

"The Shiatsu, granddaughter!" shouted Cologne, "use the Shiatsu Techniques!"

Shampoo nodded as she heard her great-grandmother and took up a stance with her fingers outstretched.

"She's got a chance now," said Ranma, "if Shampoo can touch that guy's head, she can mess up his memory and make him forget. She'll win by default!"

But Tom Smith had other plans, "oh, you're going to try and make me forget why I'm here, aren't you? Well that won't work on me."

In the blink of an eye, Tom Smith crossed the length of the ring and grabbed Shampoo by her wrists and squeezed them, "it's useless to contend with me! Useless!"

By now he was crushing her wrists hard enough to begin breaking bones. Shampoo tried to struggle away from Tom Smith, but his grip was too strong, "Useless!" he shouted as he squeezed harder, causing Shampoo to scream in agony.

"For the love of god, Cologne!" shouted Nodoka, "throw in the towel!"

Colonge then rushed at the ring and shouted, "we forfeit!"

"Fight's over!" said the referee "it's over!"

"It is?" Tom smith asked, "already?" he casually released Shampoo's mangled wrists, causing her to collapse to the floor. "And I was just beginning to have fun." He jumped down from the ring and walked over to the disguised Hades and Ursula.

Ranma, Kairi, Sora, Mousse, Felicia, Ukyo, Adam and Nodoka ran up to the ring just as a pair of medics were examining Shampoo. The prognosis wasn't good.

"Her wrists are completely crushed," said one of the medics, "even with the healing devices, there'll still be some permanent nerve damage. She'll never hold a weapon or fight at all again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said a defiant Kairi. She took a step onto the stage, but Sora tried to stop her.

"Half a billion people are watching," said Sora, "you sure you want to use your powers in front of the world?"

"Do I look like I care about who's gonna see me?" Kairi asked in a very serious tone.

"I don't think so," said a slightly dumbfounded Sora.

"Good," said Kairi. She then walked up to Shampoo. The purple-haired Amazon was in unimaginable agony, for her pride as a warrior had her refuse any pain killers, "just hold on for a minute, Shampoo," said Kairi as she carefully placed her hands on Shampoo's ruined wrists, "this won't take long, I promise."

Kairi then used her healing magic, the white light penetrating Shampoo's injuries and fully restoring her mangled wrists in less than a minute. Surprised that the pain was suddenly gone, Shampoo was equally surprised to find her wrists back to normal.

"How'd you do that?" a shocked medic asked.

"Magic of course," said Kairi.

"You save Shampoo's wrists," said the purple-haired Amazon. She then flung her arms around Kairi and kissed her on the forehead, "Kairi is Shampoo's friend forever!"

"Goodness!" said a startled Nodoka.

"What was that?" Ranma asked, while Sora looked rather confused.

"Young Kairi has just been given an incredible honor," said Cologne, "when a female outsider willingly helps a warrior of the Amazon tribe, the warrior is question is honor bound to help her in return someday. As partial payment of this kindness, the warrior gives the outsider the Kiss of Friendship, making the outsider an honorary Amazon."

"Well how do you like that?" said Felicia to Kairi, "you're an honorary Chinese Amazon."

"If that's true," said Sora to Kairi, "then you can never let Riku beat you when we spar, otherwise you'll have to marry him."

"In that case," said a grinning Kairi, "I think I'll let you win the next time we spar."

By now the audience had gotten over the multiple shocks of the past few minutes and was cheering loudly, mostly for Shampoo's recovery and the sudden display of friendship.

"Well this is one for the record books, people," said Hank, "after a brutal ending to a bizarre fight, Tom Smith advances to the quarterfinals."

"But the real winner here is Kairi," said Lisa, "who ends up helping Shampoo and becoming an honorary Amazon. This is something they'll be talking about for a long time."

"And I thought this kinda thing happens only in the movies," said Hannah.

"I thought you said you had this under control!" Ursula hissed at Hades as they and Tom Smith headed for the exit, "your so called champ started acting all high and mighty there just now!"

"Alright already," said an irate Hades, "I made a mistake and allowed another part of his original personality to wake up. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Tom Smith, "I'd be most appreciative if you left my mind alone."

"Don't try to get smart with me, tough guy," said Hades, "I'm the one holding the reins here. Did you forget so easily? Your own universe kicked you out and sent you to mine, which makes you my property. If I say you'll be a mindless dog, you'll be a mindless dog, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"We'll see, old man," said Tom smith, "we'll see." With that he walked out of the arena.

"Who's he calling old?" snapped Hades, "I'm not old, I'm a god for crying out loud!"

"But they do get a little gray around the gills," said Ursula as she walked out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hades asked as he also walked out.

"Never mind," said Ursula, "we've got other things to worry about than our champ. I say let him have his memories and personality back, as long as he remembers who the bosses really are."

"As long as he remembers who the boss is," said Hades, "and you're right, we've got bigger things to worry about, like how are we going to handle thousands of disgruntled tournament losers who are just itching to be bullies and thugs for the darkness."

"They've already turned their hearts to the darkness," said Ursula, "all we've got to do is get them all over to New Hollow Bastion, then they're Maleficent's problem."

* * *

"Well, me dear," said Kyle to Akane, "it looks like we're the last ones left to fight today. Let's just give it our best and have fun, okay?" he held out his hand.

Akane glared contemptuously at Kyle and brushed pass him as she made her way to the ring.

"What's her problem?" Kyle asked.

"She hates men in general," said Ranma, "I still haven't figured that out. There's a lot about Akane that I don't get, like why is she such a terrible cook? Or why hasn't she ever taken the time to learn how to swim? Or why is it that she's always ready to believe the worst about me, even when the truth is clearly in plain sight?"

"Who is John Galt?" Kairi asked.

"Huh?" Sora, Riku, Ranma, Mousse, Shampoo, Ukyo, Ryoga, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Ian, Adam, Kyle, Julia, Jean-Louise, Felicia, Nodoka and Cologne asked.

"Am I the only one here who's read Atlas Shrugged?" Kairi asked.

"That big thing you were so hung up about before this whole mess with The Heartless got started?" Riku asked, "no thanks. I'll stick with books that I know I can finish."

"I got bored after reading only fifty pages," said Sora.

"But you have to read all of it," insisted Kairi, "it's a great story with many great lessons behind it; the biggest of which is that evil only exists if it's allowed to exist."

"True enough," said Nodoka.

"Alright, boys and girls!" said Hank, "this is it, the last match of the second round! Kyle O'Harra, pankration extraordinaire, vs. Akane Tendo of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts!"

"Both have made it through the prelims and the first round of the finals easily enough," said Lisa, "but both are completely different fighters. Kyle uses takedown and submission holds backed up with careful thinking, while Akane seems to like just plain brutality."

"My money's on Kyle," said Hannah, "I mean, what good are muscles if you use them against someone who can outthink you? Am I right?"

"Let's just have fun, shall we?" Kyle asked as he and Akane stood in the ring. They bowed to each other, but all the while Akane glared hatefully at Kyle.

"Get this straight," said Akane as she took up her fighting stance, "I'm not here to have fun. I'm here to win, got it?"

"Well excuse me for showing good sportsmanship," said Kyle as he too up his fighting stance, "don't get mad at me just because you got up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Kyle and Akane rushed at each other. Akane tried to punch and kick Kyle but he was too fast. He then grabbed Akane by the wrist and threw her over his shoulder, smashing her to the floor. Kyle then grabbed her other arm and bent it back hard enough to make her yelp in pain.

"I'd submit now if I were you, darling," said Kyle as he added more pressure to the arm lock, "any more and you'll be sorry!"

Akane then shouted in rage rather than pain as she pushed Kyle off of her. She then picked him up like he was a rag doll and held her over her head.

"Don't touch me, you pervert!" shouted an enraged Akane.

"Put me down, ya' flaming banshee!" shouted Kyle, "and who are you calling a pervert?"

Akane responded by throwing him out of the ring. He landed hard on the floor twenty feet away.

"Ring out!" said the referee, "The winner is Akane Tendo!"

It took the audience a few seconds to realize that the fight was already over. They applauded Akane's victory, but it was half-hearted, for they were expecting more.

"Sweet momma, she's strong!" said Hannah.

"And ill-tempered," said Lisa, "she had no right to call Kyle a pervert. All he did was use legal moves. He didn't touch her in any way that was inappropriate, right?"

"I didn't see anything that would result in a lawsuit," said Hank.

"I thought so," said Lisa.

"Well folks, with that display of monstrous strength," said Hank, "Akane Tendo advances to the quarterfinals, and that's the end of the second round, boys and girls. We'll be back tomorrow with the quarter finals of The Tournament of Light!"

"You okay, man?" Ian asked Kyle as a medic looked him over and said there was nothing serious.

"I landed on me head after this she-bear of a girl picked me up like I was a flaming doll," said an irate Kyle as the medic handed him an icepack to put on his head, "of course I'm not alright! I'm flaming mad. Just who does that witch Akane Tendo think she is? Calling me a pervert like that."

"She thinks every boy is a pervert," said Ranma as he watched Akane stomp out of the fighters area and out of the arena, "the slightest whim can set her off, believe me, I know how mean she can get."

"Well I'm glad you realized just how wrong she is for you," said Kairi, "I've never met anyone with a more complicated personality. If anyone needs professional help, it's Akane Tendo."

"I'm glad you've decided for yourself as well, Ranma," said Nodoka, "I had hoped that Akane would change for the better, but now I think it's for the best that the two of you remain friends and at a distance."

"NO!" shouted Genma as he and Soun ran up, "Ranma and Akane are engaged and they will be husband and wife!"

"The schools must be joined!" said Soun, "it's their duty."

"Like you'd know anything about duty!" snapped Ranma. "look, Mr. Tendo, pops, I'm not going through with your stupid arranged marriage and that's final. You've got a problem with it, deal with it! I'll be free to settle it once and for all once the tournament is over."

"But you have to marry Akane," said Soun as tears threatened to fall from his eyes, "it's your duty to continue the family line and martial arts style."

"I blame myself for raising such a dishonorable son," said Genma in a distraught tone.

"Oh give me a break," said an irate Riku, "you only want Ranma and Akane to get married so that they'll be able to take care of you two."

"It's true," said Ukyo, "all day long Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome do is play Shogi and eat. Occasionally they'll get involved with whatever whirlwind adventure Ranma and Akane are up to, but that's it."

"Seems to me that you two are the ones who need a lesson in honor and duty," said Nodoka, "Soun, Genma, as Ranma's mother I have to look out for his wellbeing, since it's clear that the two of you are unable to handle that responsibility. ThereforeI am forced to take action. As Ranma's mother, I'm dissolving the arrangement you two made. Ranma and Akane are no longer engaged, and that's final!"

"But…" said both Genma and Soun.

"No buts about it!" said Nodoka sternly, "if I have to, I'll call my attorney and have him fly out to L.A. post haste and we can settle this in court. My son is not marrying that un-cute tomboy of a girl."

"But…" said both Genma and Soun.

"If you're worried about finding her a husband that much, Soun," said Nodoka, "there's plenty of other boys who find her attractive," she looked at Ryoga and Tatewaki, "talk to these two, I'm sure one of them is interested in the job. Now if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day and I'd like to enjoy some time with my son, if he's interested in touring the city with his mother that is."

"I'd like that, mom," said Ranma. With that they left together.

"At least we've helped them get closer," said Sora, "every kid should be close to their mom."

Just then Aiden ran up to them, his pockets even fuller than before "you guys were awesome!"

"Looks like you did well yourself," said Kairi as she eyed Aiden's overstuffed pockets.

"You better believe it!" said a very happy Aiden, "I took that Rico creep to the cleaners today. He wanted to place more bets, but I'm smart enough to know when to stop."

"Good for you," said Riku.

"Well, today's been a real pleasure," said a Felicia as she and Mousse headed for the door.

"At least we didn't louse too badly," said Mousse.

"We'll fight again for fun someday," said Riku.

"I'd like that," said Mousse, "just as long as you don't lose to that psychopath tomorrow."

"She's as good as lost," said Riku.

"And don't you lose to Ryoga either," said Jean-Louise to Sora, "that reckless boy is going to get someone hurt someday, so somebody needs to teach him a lesson."

"I'll try my best," said Sora.

"You should," said an irate Jean-Louise, "_ou j'aurai votre tête entre deux a fumé des petits pains_!" with that she left for the door.

"What'd she say?" Sora asked as he, Riku, Kairi and Aiden headed for the door as well.

"Something about having your head between two steamed buns," said Kairi.

"Oh," said Sora.

Outside the arena they were met by Miley as she ran up to them. "I saw you guys fight! It was awesome!"

"You were in the audience?" Sora asked.

"I didn't see you at all," said Riku.

"Yeah," said Miley in a hesitant tone, "I was halfway up to the nosebleed section, so you probably didn't see me."

"What about Lilly and Oliver?" Kairi asked, "were they there also?"

"Yes, they defiantly were there," said an all too cheerful Miley, "they were right next to me all the time, cheering you on! I mean, we couldn't have cheered any louder." In truth, Lilly and Oliver were there at the other end of the VIP seats as Lola and Mike, but that was something Miley wasn't ready to talk about.

Just then Miley received a text, one that she didn't like at all, "oh sweet niblets!" she looked at Sora and the others apologetically, "I got to go."

"You'll watch us tomorrow?" Sora asked.

"I'll defiantly watch you fight," said Miley, "that's a given!" With that she ran off.

Miley met Robbie Ray at the limo on the other side of the parking lot. "Where were you, Miles?" Robbie Ray asked as Miley jumped into the limo and it drove off, "and why'd you get out of character?"

"I was talking to my friends, dad," said Miley as she sat at the other side of the backseat and a privacy screen rose and she changed back into Hannah, "Roxy was close by, so I was safe."

"Well just so long as you're careful," said Robbie Ray.

* * *

"I don't mean to sound rude, Kairi," said Riku as our heroes reached their hotel, "but your friend Miley, she's a bit unusual."

"She is a bit strange," said Kairi as they crossed the lobby and waited for the elevator to come, "but that's part of what I like about her."

"She is strange," said Sora, "and who says things like 'sweet niblets?'"

"Her family," said Kairi as the elevator arrived and they went in, "Miley's from a family that doesn't like to use dirty words, so they make nicer-sounding words up."

"That's cool, I guess," said Aiden, "and original. I've never heard anyone say sweet niblets before."

"I know someone else," said Riku as the elevator stopped at their floor and they got out, "at the party for the top 32, Hannah said it."

"That's right, she did," said Sora.

Just then Aiden stopped in his tracks as if a huge revelation struck his mind. "It can't be," he said as nervous sweat began to pour from his brow, "it just can't be!"

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

Aiden then looked at Kairi with frantic intensity in his eyes, "do you have a picture of Miley with you?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah," said a confused Kairi, "we emailed each other our pics the day before the flight to L.A. so she'd know who to look for."

"Bring it," said Aiden, "and meet me in my room." he then hurried to his room.

"I'm starting to worry about him," said Riku.

"Maybe it's Post Traumatic Stress," said Kairi as she went to her room to get the photo of Miley, "a delayed reaction from what happened to his parents."

"I hope not," said Sora.

They met Aiden at his room and he locked the door behind them, "did you bring the picture?" he franticly asked.

"What's this all about?" Kairi asked as she handed Aiden the photo of Miley, "are you all right?"

"The only thing that's wrong with me is the possibility that I'm wrong about this horrible idea that popped into my head," said Aiden. He placed the picture of Miley on the bedside table and then placed next to it his autographed picture of Hannah Montana, "and it looks like I'm right after all," he said in a grave tone.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.

"Miley," said Aiden as he pointed at the two pictures, "I'm talking about Miley Stewart. She's Hannah Montana!"

**The end of chapter 6.**

Next chapter finds our heroes dealing with this potentially world-shaking revelation as they get ready for the quarter finals. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7: The Quarterfinals

Last time found our heroes telling Ranma, Adam and most of the other martial artists about The Heartless. It turns out that Adam, Felicia, Julia, Ian, Jean-Louise and Kyle all had encounters with The Heartless several months before the tournament. At the same time, Ranma began to reassert his rights as a human being and confront Akane with the truth that they would never work out as a married couple.

The next day as Sora and Riku prepared for the second round of the tournament, they and Kairi, along with Ranma and the others, were surprised to find out that Felicia and Mousse had gotten together, proclaiming that they were soul mates.

The tournament resumed, with Ryoga defeating Jean-Louise, Sora defeating Tatewaki, Julia beating Ukyo, Ranma defeating Adam, Riku beating Mousse, Kodatchi defeating Felicia, the vile Tom Smith defeating Shampoo and Akane defeating Kyle.

Afterwards, Aiden had a startling thought that would change things for our heroes forever. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 7: The Quarterfinals**

"What's this all about?" Kairi asked as she handed Aiden the photo of Miley, "are you all right?"

"The only thing that's wrong with me is the possibility that I'm wrong about this horrible idea that popped into my head," said Aiden. He placed the picture of Miley on the bedside table and then placed next to it his autographed picture of Hannah Montana, "and it looks like I'm right after all," he said in a grave tone.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.

"Miley," said Aiden as he pointed at the two pictures, "I'm talking about Miley Stewart. She's Hannah Montana!"

There was a moment or two of tense silence as Sora, Riku and Kairi processed Aiden's words in their minds.

Riku finally broke the tense atmosphere, "what? No! No! There's no way that's right! How can you possibly even think of such a thing?"

"It's just not possible," said Kairi, her voice heavy with denial, "I just can't believe it. Miley can't be Hannah Montana, she just can't be."

"But it makes sense," said Aiden, "Miley and Hannah both say Sweet Niblets when almost nobody else in the world does. Miley is never in the same place Hannah is, and here's the most damming evidence," he held up the picture of Miley and the autographed picture of Hannah, "an uncanny resemblance, don't you think?"

Sora looked at both pictures and saw that indeed there were similarities; both girls had the same eye color and the same smile. The similarities were too much of a coincidence to shrug off.

"I think Aiden's right," said Sora, "Miley and Hannah really do look alike."

"Maybe they're twins," said Kairi as she looked at the pictures, "separated at birth." She looked closer at the pictures, "but now that I think about it, maybe Aiden is right."

"But how?" Riku asked as he looked at the pictures, "and why? If Miley is Hannah, why would she make up a character just to sing?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said Aiden, "why don't we ask her that the next time we see her?"

"I don't think this is something you can just ask," said Sora, "this really is a big thing."

"I'll say," said Kairi, "if word got out that Hannah Montana is just a character, that she's really Miley, then not only would her career be over but her life as a normal teenager would be over as well."

"Then what are we going to do about this?" Aiden asked.

"We're going to do what anyone else who discovers a potentially world-shaking secret does," said Riku. He gave the picture of Miley back to Kairi and the picture of Hannah back to Aiden, "we're going to keep this quiet until we figure out how to handle this without anyone getting in trouble."

"We're just going to keep our mouths shut?" Sora asked.

"That's exactly what we're going to do," said Riku, "Miley may be Hannah, but that doesn't mean I like her any less as a singer and a superstar, and especially as a friend."

"Same with me," said Kairi, "just because Miley has this big secret, doesn't make her any less of a friend."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Aiden, "my lips are sealed."

"Mine to," said Sora.

"And mine," said Kairi.

"And mine," said Riku.

With that they all went to their separate rooms and got into clean clothes. The rest of the day passed slowly for Sora and the others as they pondered this startling revelation. What they were going to do about it, they didn't know yet.

_:What do you think about this?: _Sora asked Roxas.

_:I really don't know,:_ said Roxas, _:and neither does Naminé. We really haven't had all that much experience in this sort of thing.:_

:Guess you're right,: said Sora.

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"Oh boy," said a worried Pete as he saw thousands of teenaged humans, all of whom had dark presences emanating from their hearts, match into the castle, "this is too much, this is way too much. There's no way we're gonna be able to take care of all of these guys."

"You act as if we were expecting guests," said Maleficent as she too observed the newcomers, "I too am surprised that Ursula and Hades were able to find so many dark hearts on a single world, but they will not be here for long, not long enough to require resources."

"They'll all soon be Heartless," said Nikolai, "all of these pathetic humans, these blowhards and grunts, they thought they could win fame and glory though sheer brutality. They were proven wrong. Outraged and dishearten, they took the first offer of consolation made to them, the offer of power. Like greedy children they took the offer without considering the consequences. Before long these fools will cease to exist, and only Heartless, with a few Nobodies, will remain."

"Oh goody!" said a smiling and blissfully happy Katarina, "more pets to play with!"

"And speaking of Nobodies," said Maleficent, "I believe I may have finally found the means to controlling them."

"Enlighten us, oh mistress of all evil," said Nikolai.

"In due time," said Maleficent, "now, observe."

The baddies watched as at first one by one, then in twos, then fives, then tens, then hundreds of the disgruntled martial artists, consumed by their own anger, hate and despair, succumbed to the darkness and became Heartless.

Most became Soldiers, Armored Knights and other advanced forms. But several hundred became a new type a type. They were as tall as Neo Shadows but much more heavily muscled and wore black Karate gi's.

"Wow!" said an amazed Katarina, "cool!"

"An impressive new species," said Maleficent as she inspected the newest type of Heartless.

"With your permission, great one," said Nikolai, "I shall name this new type."

"Granted," said Maleficent.

"I want to name them!" whined Katarina.

"As if you could come up with a fitting name," said Nikolai. He looked at the new types, "This species shall be known as Blackbelts."

The new type Heartless, Blackbelts now, snapped to attention.

"Impressive," Maleficent said again.

"I could have thought of a cool name," pouted Katarina.

"And what would you have named them?" Nikolai asked, "some sort of disgustingly cute name no doubt."

"No I wouldn't have!" said Katarina, "I would have called them Thugs, like putting Tough Hugs together."

"That ain't what I call a name for Heartless," said Pete.

"Well that's what I would've called them," said Katarina. She then eyed Pete, "and who said you could argue with me, Fluffy?"

"Oh no!" said an angry and nervous Pete as he backed away from her, "don't you start that again! I'm done with being your pet!"

"But you look so cute in pink!" said Katarina as she advanced on Pete, her arms outstretched to embrace him in an unnaturally strong grip, "makes me want to hug you and pet you and squeeze you into itsy bitsy pieces!"

"You stay away from me!" said a terrified Pete as he ran for it.

"Come back, Fluffy!" exclaimed Katarina as she chased Pete through the castle corridors, "we're late for our exfoliating appointment! And then we're going to get you some new pink outfits and accessories!"

"NO!" shouted Pete, "NOT PINK NOT AGAIN!"

"Those two shall keep each other occupied until they are needed," said Maleficent.

"I cannot understand how that imbecile Pete ever came into your service," said Nikolai.

"You would be surprised," said Maleficent, "I am equally puzzled how that moron Katarina became on of the Hakonian elite."

"Her father is one of our elders," said Nikolai, "and has been able to pursued the rest of our elders to allow her to be among the best of our race. That, combined with an uncanny to enforcer her will on the unprepared mind allows Katarina to fulfill whatever whim enters her nearly empty head. If she wants Pete to be her pet, he will be her pet for as long as she wishes it.

"Then there's her monstrous strength. Katarina is one of the most powerful of the Hakonians in terms of sheer physical prowess. She could reduce this entire castle into rubble in an hour with just her fists if she so desired. All in all, her connections, her mental and physical abilities, combined with her dark innocence, makes her the most dangerous and unpredictable of Hakonians. In fact, had Katarina not been born an idiot, she'd be our queen, and she knows it, she has just enough intelligence to know."

"Then precautions should be taken," said Maleficent, "to ensure that Katarina does not betray me."

"As long as she is kept happy she will remember where her loyalties lie," said Nikolai, "and apparently at this moment, the morn Pete is what makes her happy."

Just then a goblin servant delivered a message. "Ah," said Maleficent as she read the message, "it would seem that your other Hakonian comrades are about to finally redeem themselves. Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad are about to acquire the human Happosai."

"I could care less if they succeed or fail," said Nikolai, "so long as the greater mission is accomplished and the darkness is spread across all of existence. But what of our new Heartless?"

"They shall spearhead the invasions that will cover the realms in darkness," said Maleficent as she looked out at the ranks of Blackbelts, "when the time is right, when they are properly trained, and when there are enough of them, they shll drive the light out of existance!"

* * *

"So that's it," said Rakel as she, Konrad, Reddik and Erika stood on a hill overlooking a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of L.A., "that's where they're keeping the little old pervert Maleficent is so hung up about."

"Let's just get this over with already," said Erika, "the sooner we get the pervert back to New Hollow Bastion, the better for all of us."

"I never thought you'd be so eager to work with us," said Reddik, "you've always been the lone wolf."

"I still am," said Erika, " once we're done here and we're all back in Maleficent's good graces, I'll explain it to her plain and clear that I work best alone, so the sooner this mission is done, the sooner I can go back to being a lone wolf."

"Well I'll be all to happy to work alone again," said Konrad, "the sooner I'm away from you peasants the better."

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Rakel, "let's go already!"

The four Hakonians then used a combination of invisibility spells and phasing spells so they could walk through the warehouse walls without being seen.

They entered the warehouse to find that the inside was one huge medical laboratory filled with dozens of scientists and all sorts of medical equipment designed to analyze data.

In the middle of the lab was a large glass cube that had several air pumps and a slot to allow food and water to be sent inside without compromising the integrity of the cube.

In the cube was a very angry Happosai who was futilely trying to break his way out of his glass prison.

"You've got as much chance of breaking that glass as you do of becoming the next President of the United States," said Aaron Spartan as he, Elaine Roberts and Quincy Fairchild, stood in front of the cube.

"Face it, old man," said Quincy Fairchild, "your days of terrorizing young women and making the lives of people in general miserable are over."

"The sooner you accept your fate as a monster who's time is up," said Elaine Roberts, "the better."

"No way!" snapped Happosai as he tried to punch his way out of the cube again, but to no avail, "I may be a monster, but there's no way I'm letting you bastards dissect me!"

"The world will be that much better without you, you old pervert!" snapped Elaine Roberts, "we at the Heartstone foundation have dedicated our lives to making the world safer and brighter for the future, and we're going to take a huge step towards that future with your death, and not a moment too soon I say."

"We've learned all we can learn about you from a few days of observation," said Aaron Spartan, "so now it comes to this, slaying the monster."

"Let's start with poison gas," said Elaine Roberts, "and if that doesn't kill this thing, we can try incineration or flash freezing."

"I say we throw the creature into a throttling wood chipper," said Quincy Roberts, "or crush him with a steamroller."

"Just what kind of philanthropists are you people!" exclaimed an exasperated Happosai.

From the shadows emerged Violet Baudelaire, "The kind willing to do whatever it takes to keep this world and its people safe from evil; evil which comes in all shapes and sizes, even your size, Happosai. You've been a blight on this world for far too long, so it's time to say goodbye."

"I'm afraid we cannot allow that," said Reddik as he, Rakel, Konrad and Erika released the invisibility spell.

"Who the hell are you!" said a surprised Quincy Fairchild.

"Introductions would take too long," said Konrad, "let's just say that we represent a group that would benefit from keeping Happosai alive."

"Our mistress wishes for the old pervert to join her," said Rakel, "and when our mistress commands that someone be brought to her, we being that person to her."

"Then we have reason to disagree," said Violet, "I can tell that you, and your mistress, represent everything we, The Heartstone Foundation, stand against; evil."

"Then we'll just have to tear down your precious foundation," said Erika.

By then dozens of security guards armed with assault rifles had surrounded the four Hakonians. But Violet held up her hand. "Stay back! These four creatures have powers not of this world. You'd all be killed before you knew it!" With that the guards backed off.

"So, you're aware of other worlds then?" Rakel asked.

"We'd be fools not to be aware of them," said Elaine, "and we're aware of magic, both good and dark."

"Not all the old ways have been forgotten on this world," said Quincy, "quite a lot that has been lost has been found though efforts made by the likes of The Heartstone Foundation."

"Oh really?" said Konrad in a daring tone, "then why don't you peasants show me what you've remembered!"

"Gladly!" said Quincy as he charged up and threw a sphere of yellow energy at Konrad. The pompous Hakonian barely dodged it.

"So you humans do know something about power," said Rakel, "well then let's see what you make of this!" he eyes began glowing sickly orange, the irises oscillating up and down, while a droning hum filled the air.

Quincy gasped in agony and fell to the ground. The guards tried to close in, but this time Elaine shouted for them to stop. "She has The Evil Eye! If you try to stop her she'll completely destroy your minds!" once again the guards backed off.

"Just how much do you foolish humans know anyway?" Reddik asked.

"We know enough," said Elaine, "and I know how to counter The Evil Eye!" he eyes glowed bright green and began oscillating in and out, while a high pitched hum filled the air.

"So you want a mind-bending duel?" Rakel demanded, "then let's duel!" she and Elaine then locked eyes on each other as they both tried to invade the other's minds and destroy each other.

The very air seemed to crackle with energy as the two women, human and Hakonian, attempted to crush the other. The droning of Rakel's Evil Eye and the hum of Elaine's eyes rose in volume and pitch to almost deafening levels.

Both women were showing the strain of their psychic duel, each of them looking as if they had ran a marathon, but neither of them were willing to give up. But Elaine looked more exhausted than Rakel.

"Give up, human!" snapped Reddik, "Rakel's one of the Hakonian elite! You don't stand a chance against me!"

"She can sure as hell try!" said Aaron, "Elaine's one of the best psychic Earth has to offer!"

"Even if your friend kills Elaine!" said Quincy, "even if you kill us all, it won't make that much of a difference! We're expendable pawns in a greater game. If anything happens to us, we can be replaced in a heartbeat!"

"Well that's not an option with us!" said Erika.

By now both women had bleeding noses from the psychic strain. But then Elaine nearly lost her balance and screamed in agony, while Rakel laughed triumphantly.

"Looks like it's all over," said Konrad.

"I think not," said Aaron.

Elaine then summoned all of her mental strength for one last psychic blast and sent it at Rakel. This caused Ralek to lose her concentration and focus. Elaine gasped in relief as Rakel's attack went off target. But the psychic blast found a different target. The blast hit the glass cube and shattered it.

"Oh crap!" said both Violet and Quincy.

From the shattered remains of the cube emerged Happosai. He laughed heartily and jumped onto Violet, his hands latching onto her bousum, "Free! Freedom! Sweet meat on a Sunday freedom!"

Violet cried out in disgust as she tried to pull Happosai off of her, but he only let go only to jump onto and glomp Elaine. He then glomped Rakel and then Erika, all in the space of a few seconds.

"Well now," said Happosai once he had his fill of molestation, "this has been really fun, but I think I'm going to leave now."

"I think not!" said Konrad, "you impudent little peasant! You now belong to Maleficent!"

"Maleficent!" exclaimed a horrified Happosai, "that she-bitch of a sorceress is still alive!"

"Of course she's alive, you little monster!" snapped an enraged Rakel, "the mistress of all evil can never die!"

"And you're coming with us, old pervert!" snapped Erika, "One way or another!"

"No thanks!" said Happosai as he pulled out one of his oversized cherry bombs and a matchstick.

"I thought we took all of his weapons when we moved him to the cube!" said Quincy.

"Underestimating a martial artist will be your undoing," said Happosai as he struck the match, "and as for you," he said to Rakel, Reddik, Erika and Konrad, "tell Maleficent she can go back to hell where she belongs!" he lit the fuse on the cherry bomb and threw it at the Hakonians, "Happo Fire Burst!"

The bomb exploded and produced a lot of smoke. Reddik used a shield spell to protect his fellow Hakonians, while Violet and the other Heartstone members avoided the worst of the blast.

But then everyone then heard a window breaking and Happosai laughing. The smoke cleared, revealing that Happosai was indeed gone.

"Oh crap!" said Violet, Quincy, Aaron and Elaine.

"And this is where we go!" said Konrad. He, Reddik, Erika and Ralek teleported outside.

They arrived on the hill and saw Happosai jumping toward the city.

"You son of a bitch!" snapped Erika. She prepared to shoot a killing curse at Happosai, but Reddik stopped her.

"Don't!" said Reddik as he restrained Erika's arm, "we need him alive!"

"But not necessarily in one piece," said a very irate Rakel, "Maleficent can't punish us if we end up damaging the little creep in the process of capture. Hazard of doing business, you know."

"Yes, workplace hazard," said Erika, "he can still serve Maleficent's purposes if he's without a hand or a foot."

"It won't matter what you want to do to him if we don't catch him!" said Reddik.

"And here I thought our luck was changing for the better," said Konrad. With that they chased after Happosai.

Back inside the wrecked warehouse, Violet took stock of the situation, "well, this sure is a dilly of a pickle."

"I think we're way in over our heads with this one," said Quincy.

"Oh really, you think?" said Elaine.

* * *

The next morning Sora and the others woke up and got ready for the next round of the tournament. They all met at Sora's room.

"Have you thought about what we talked about last night?" Aiden asked.

"I have," said Riku, "and I think we really do need to be careful about…this thing. If we mess this up, we could get…you know who, in a lot of trouble."

Sora knew that Riku wasn't going to say Miley's name or Hannah's, just in case any unscrupulous paparazzi were nearby.

"But what about…you know who?" Kairi asked, "should we talk to her about this? I honestly don't know if I can keep my mouth shut the next time we see her."

"I don't know," said Sora. "I guess the best thing we should do is avoid," he whispered, "Miley, for now."

"But what about Hannah?" Riku whispered, "she'll be at the tournament for sure."

"I guess we just don't talk to her," said Sora.

"Let's not think about that for now," said Riku as they headed downstairs for breakfast, "we've got more pressing matters to deal with today."

"I've got to fight Ryoga," said Sora, "he's got more than his fair share of problems, that's for sure."

"And he's got that Shishi Hokodon," said Kairi, "you really need to be careful with him. If he get's too emotional, he can use his depression as a weapon."

"And I've got to defeat Kodatchi," said Riku. He sighed, "just my luck to go up against a psychopath."

"You'll do fine, Riku," said Nodoka as she met them at the restaurant. "You too, Sora, I'm sure you both will prevail today, in more ways than one."

"I hope so," said Sora in an uncertain tone.

"Oh come on, Sora!" said Kairi, "you've fought against countless Heartless and thousands of Nobodies! You've journeyed to other worlds, met with Kings and Princesses; fought fiends and Villains, and all before you're 16, so don't tell me you're nervous about fighting a martial artist who's hopelessly lost in mind and body, who has emotional problems and is otherwise messed up in his head and heart.

"And you, Riku, don't you dare doubt that you can win against a cheating lunatic like Kodatchi. She's so messed up it's a wonder she knows how to put her clothes on."

"You're right," said Sora, "we've got this round so won."

"And I'll be rooting for you from the VIP seats," said Aiden, "all the way. And if that idiot Rico wants to gamble against you, well, it's his loss. I don't need to make any more money, I already know who's gonna win without a doubt."

"That's the spirit!" said Nodoka.

Jus then Kairi's cell phone rang with an incoming text message, "it's from Miley. She says she can't see us before the tournament but will meet us later."

"I'm sure she had a very good reason for this," said Riku.

"Yeah," said Sora in a all too nonchalant tone, "it's not like she's keeping a huge secret from us, right?"

_:Don't push it,:_ said Roxas.

_:Right,: _said Sora, _:sorry.:_

They arrived at the arena and went to the fighters area. Already there was Julia, Jean-Louise, Kyle, Ian and Adam, whom had a strange but happy smile on his face despite a slightly bruised face, as well as Ukyo and Ryoga.

"You two look like you're ready," said Julia as she eyed Sora and Riku, "just don't wear yourselves out too soon, boys. I hope you'll prove to be fitting challenges after I beat Ranma today."

"Dream on!" said Ryoga, "I'm gonna beat Ranma," he looked at Sora, "after I beat you."

"Just remember what we talked about earlier, _mon ami_," said Jean-Louise, "you are to never use that Shishi Hokodon again."

"I never said I wouldn't," said Royga in a disgruntled tone, "and don't you threaten me, lady! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, to whomever I want to!"

"Looks like someone got out of the wrong side of the bed, that's for sure," said Kyle.

"I think what Jean-Louise is saying, Ryoga," said Adam, "is that she doesn't want you to hurt anyone with your special attack. You were really reckless yesterday and someone could have been injured, or worse. Imagine how someone would feel if they got blasted like that for no reason. How would you feel?"

"I'd feel bad that I had gotten in the way," said a still irate Ryoga.

"You hopeless bastard," said a disappointed Jean-Louise. She looked at Sora with intense conviction, "_vainquez ce fils d'un cochon_."

"She wants you to defeat this son of a pig," said Kairi.

"Consider it done," said Sora.

"_Merci beaucoup_," said Jean-Louise.

Just then the air rang with the maniacal laughter of Kodatchi as she and Tatewaki walked into the fighter's area, "what a splendid day for my grand triumph!" said the insane gymnast.

"You haven't won yet," said Riku, "this is only the quarterfinals. Even if you beat me, unlikely as that will be, there's still two more rounds to go. Anything can happen."

"Which is why you should forfeit while you have the chance," said Kodatchi, "anything can happen."

"Don't even thin about trying to poison me," said Riku, "I've had experiences with poisons and toxins the likes of which would give you nightmares."

"Try me," said Kodatchi in a daring tone as she walked closer to Riku and glared at him while less and two feet from him.

Sora was curious as to what kind of poisons Riku has had experience with as well. But then Ranma walked in.

"Ranma darling!" shouted an overjoyed Kodatchi as she shoved Riku aside and tried to latch onto Ranma. He dodged her, leading Kodatchi to overbalance and fall flat on her face.

"I'm not even going to tell you to leave me alone," said Ranma, "I've had enough of dealing with you, so here's what we're going to do. First thing after the tournament, we're going to settle things between us once and for all, Kodatchi. Right after I take care of getting my old man, Mr. Tendo and the old bat off of my back."

"Who are you calling an old bat, son-in-law?" Cologne asked as she and Shampoo walked in. They were followed by Mousse and Felicia. Shampoo was sporting a very purple black eye, yet she was smiling like she was on top of the world.

"Shampoo told great-grandmother already!" said the purple-haired Amazon, "Shampoo no want to marry Ranma anymore! Shampoo already find new husband!"

"You're right, granddaughter," said Cologne. She looked at Ranma, "forgive me, force of habit."

"It's alright," said Ranma, "I'm still getting used to some new things myself." he then did a double-take, "wait a second, what's this about Shampoo finding someone else!"

"That would be me," said a slightly nervous Adam, "I'm sort of Shampoo's new fiancé now."

"You're kidding!" said a shocked Kyle, "mother of mercy! How did that happen, man?"

"Very suddenly it would seem," said Adam, "after the matches were finished yesterday, I asked if Shampoo was alright from her ordeal from her fight Tom Smith."

"Speaking of tall, dark and crazy," said Ukyo, "where is Tom Smith?"

"And where's Akane?" said a worried Ryoga, "if she doesn't get here soon, she'll lose her fight by default."

"They'll both lose by default, you dipstick!" said Felicia.

"He's more of a numbskull," said Mousse.

"And a nimrod," said Felicia.

"And a whole lot of other things," said Mousse. They both grinned like the madly in love couple they were.

"If I can get back on topic," said Adam, "since we both lost yesterday, I offered Shampoo dinner and a movie. We had Italian and saw a special showing of the Once Upon a Time In China Trilogy, staring Jet Li. We both were having such a good time that right in the middle of the second movie…well…" he blushed, "I guess something clicked between us, because the next thing we knew, we were making out like there was no tomorrow."

"Shampoo then realize that Adam is one for her," said the purple-haired Amazon, "but even though Shampoo find soul mate, law must be obeyed."

"We went to a deserted lot and had it out," said Adam as he pointed to his bruised face and Shampoo's black eye, "I won and then we went to Grand Master Cologne, or should I say, great-grandmother."

"Cologne will do for now, son-in-law," said the Amazonian matriarch.

"So now you and Shampoo are together," said a smiling Kairi, "that's wonderful! When's the wedding?"

"We're going to wait until the tournament is over before we make any plans," said Adam, "I've got a feeling that something big is going to happen soon and that we're all going to be needed for something."

"Well I'm just glad you've found each other," said Sora.

"Me to," said Ranma, "sorry if I sound insensitive, but I'm glad Shampoo's no longer hung up about me and that she's found the right guy."

"Ranma always be Shampoo's friend," said the purple-haired Amazon, "Shampoo know now that she only really, really like Ranma, and only love Ranma as a friend, not as husband."

"Well, that's one less fiancée you need to worry about," said Ukyo to Ranma, "now, if only we can really make sure to get Akane off your back, then you'd be in great shape."

"But what about you, Ucchan?" Ranma asked, "where's your soul mate?"

"I don't know if I've found my soul mate," said Ukyo as she eyed Ian, "But, I think I've found someone I like. I just hope he likes me."

Just then Akane walked in, looking rather upset. She was soon followed by Soun and Genma, both looking like they were on top of the world.

"Looks like trouble's arrived," said Riku to Sora.

"And just what are you two irresponsible brats smiling about?" Nodoka asked Genma and Soun.

"Just settling things for the better, darling," said a widely grinning Genma.

"We've decided that Ranma and Akane will marry," said Soun, "and that they'll be wed this very afternoon."

At that Ranma, Nodoka, Sora, Riku, Kairi and everyone else, except Akane, exclaimed "WHAT!"

"It's for the best that they be husband and wife," said Soun, "all that's been keeping them apart is all the distractions made by all their friends, so from now on there won't be any distractions."

"We made an appointment with a justice of the peace," said Genma, "as soon as today's matches are finished, Ranma and Akane will go to the nearest courthouse and be legally married."

"No!" exclaimed an outraged Ranma, "no way in hell am I getting married! Not today, not tomorrow, and certainly not to Akane!"

"I'll die before Akane get's married to Ranma!" shouted Ryoga.

"I forbid it!" exclaimed Tatewaki, "I am the one who shall one day wed Akane Tendo!"

"Nobody's getting married today!" snapped Nodoka. She glared at her unscrupulous husband, "have you completely lost your damn mind, Genma? And you, Soun, have you flipped your wig too?"

"We're acting for the best of our children, Nodoka," said Soun, "the schools must be joined."

"This is all your fault, Ranma!" snapped Akane.

"How the hell is this my fault!" snapped Ranma, "I had no idea your old man and my old man would pull the whole shotgun wedding thing on us!"

"Well you should have stopped them anyway!" said Akane.

"He didn't know for crying out loud!" said Kairi, "so don't blame him for something he had nothing to do with!"

"You stay out of this!" said Akane, "you red-haired slut!"

At that Kairi's left eyelid twitched, "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," said Akane, "you're a red-haired slut, and it's clearly a dye job."

Kairi had to take a moment to compose herself before responding. "First of all, my hair is all natural. Second, I dare you to call me a slut again!"

"You do that you answer to me!" said an irate Sora as he glared at Akane.

"I've got this, Sora," said Kairi. She walked up to Akane and looked at her dead in the eye, "go ahead, call me a slut again."

"You're a slut!" said Akane, "and a trashy dresser as well."

"That does it!" spat Sora as he gripped his wooden Keyblade, "it's on! It's on like Donkey Kong!"

"No!" said Kairi as she and Riku held him back, "if you fight outside your scheduled matches, you'll be disqualified!"

"She's not worth it," said Riku, "she's totally not worth it on so many levels."

Sora began to calm down at that, "you're right," he lowered his wooden Keyblade, "she's totally not north it."

"What does that mean!" Akane demanded.

"If you have to ask," said Riku, "then you don't deserve to know in the first place."

"I agree," said Nodoka, "Soun, Genma, after careful consideration, I'm finally doing what I should have done the first time Ranma and Akane tried to get married. I'm officially dissolving the arrangement you two made, which might I add you did while drunk. Both of you, and Akane, have proven yourselves unworthy. This discussion is over; Ranma and Akane are no longer engaged, and there will be no further discussion, or else."

"Or else what?" Genma asked.

"Or we will visit a judge today, husband," said Nodoka, "but not to perform a shotgun wedding, but to file for divorce."

"You wouldn't!" said a shocked Genma.

"In a heartbeat," said Nodoka in a tone that said she wasn't going to take any more crap from anyone.

"But the schools must be joined!" whined Soun.

"Screw the schools!" said Ranma, "I'll start my own!"

"As if you could run a martial artist school," spat Akane, "you worthles pervert."

"Oh shut up, you stupid she-devil!" snapped Kyle, "if Ranma wants to run his own doji, hen bloody good for him, and I'll help with that venture, that I would."

"As would I," said Jean-Louise.

"Count this good-old-boy in," said Ian, while Julia, Felicia and Adam nodded in agreement.

Ranma looked at the six martial artists with gratitude. He then looked at Akane with piteous eyes, "I'm sorry, Akane, but we would never have worked out. Sorry."

"Oh that's just like you to say that you're sorry!" snapped Akane, "for all I know you've planned this all along! You're trying to get me to come crawling and begging so you'll take me back! Well it's not going to work, mister! No way! We're done!"

"That's what he's been trying to say!" said Kairi, "you're the one who's acting like she loves and hates him."

"I don't give a damn about Ranma!" snapped Akane, "he can go drown himself in a volcano for all I care!"

"That's a little redundant," said Ukyo.

"Shut up!" snapped Akane.

"Don't you tell her to shut up!" said an irate Ian, "I'll rip your damn head off and shove it up your ass!"

"Don't bother," said Ranma, "Akane's all talk."

"All bark and no bite," said Riku.

"Exactly," said Ranma.

"I'll show you who's all bark!" exclaimed Akane, "I'll win this whole tournament! And I'll start by beating that weirdo, Tom Smith!"

"Who are you calling a weirdo?" There behind Akane appeared Tom Smith as if from out of nowhere. She jumped several feet into the air in surprise.

"How'd he get here without anyone noticing him?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," said Riku.

"I look forward to our upcoming match, Ms. Tendo," said Tom Smith as he smiled cruelly, "we're going to have a lot of fun, or, at least I will." he then sat down at the far end of the fighter's area.

"He so creepy," said Shampoo as she shuddered, "make Shampoo's skin crawl."

"That man just excretes wrongness," said Adam.

"Who is this guy?" Sora asked, "he's got Villain written all over him, but I can't see anything past the outside. Who is he?"

"He's more of a what," said Kairi.

"He's someone we need to be careful around," said Riku.

"Very careful," said Kairi. She looked at Akane, "I know we have our differences, but you need to listen and trust me when I say that that man you're going to fight today is dangerous."

"We may not be engaged anymore, Akane," said Ranma, "but I'd like us to at least be friend, and as your friend I'm asking you to be careful. If it looks like this guy is taking things too far, don't hesitate to give up. You know what he did to Shampoo yesterday."

"I don't need your advice, Ranma," said an annoyed Akane, "I can take care of myself."

At that Ranma's face twisted with anger, "_you _can take care of yourself? Then how come I'm always saving your pathetic life!"

"Well I wouldn't need saving if you're not always getting me in trouble!" said Akane.

"Oh for crying out loud!" said Nodoka, "do I have to send you both to your rooms!"

"No, mom," said Ranma, "I'm done with this," he looked at Akane with contemptuous eyes, "I should have been done with it long ago. Riku's right, you're not worth it." With that he sat down by himself, leaving a stunned Akane standing there.

"Well, it looks like we've accomplished our mission," said Riku, "we've helped Ranma stand on his own and helped him with his fiancée problem."

"If only it were that simple," said Nodoka, "no, I doubt that Soun and Genma will take this quietly. And Akane is not likely to give up Ranma either."

"I agree," said Kairi, "Akane's another girl so messed up, it's a wonder she can even get out of bed."

Just then the tournament official walked up and said the matches were about to start.

"You two be careful," said Kairi as she hugged Sora, then Riku, then Sora again, "you're fighting people just as dangerous and unpredictable as that Tom Smith creep."

"We'll be careful," said Sora as he hugged Kairi back.

"It's the other guys you should be worried about," said Riku as he rubbed his wrists like Aiden would, "and as our friend would say, "Alright! Let's do this!'"

"For Aiden!" said Sora as he also rubbed his wrists.

* * *

"Your friends are going to be fighting some really tough people today," said Rico as Aiden reached his seat, "are you so sure they'll win?"

"I'm positive," said Aiden, "and no, I won't make any more bets. I know when to call it quits."

"But what about the other fights?" Jackson, "I think that Ranma's got his match won without a doubt."

"But Julia's no pushover either," said Jake, "and then there's Akane Tendo and Tom Smith. She's strong, but he's merciless; there's no comparison."

"Are you so sure of that, gentlemen?" Rico asked as he pulled out a wad of cash, "want to make things more interesting?"

"Not for all the stars in Hollywood," said Jake.

* * *

"Greetings fight fans all over the world!" said Hank, "we're here at the quarterfinals of The Tournament of Light!"

"Yesterday we saw some explosive matches that rocked the world," said Lisa, "one can only hope that today will be even more spectacular!"

"And if not," said Hannah, "then we'll see something fantastic."

"Today's match ups are sure to give the people what they want," said Hank, "first up we have the moody Ryoga Hibiki vs. Sora. Ryoga, whom yesterday as you know, nearly blew the arena to kingdom come with his Shishi Hokodon attack. I've been informed by the tournament judges that this move will be allowed if he uses it again, provided that he keeps in mind that there are other people nearby who aren't as tough as a martial artist."

"Here's hoping that Sora has what it takes to endure that Shishi Hokodon," said Lisa, "Sora, after defeating the Blue Blunder Tatewaki Kuno yesterday, has proven himself to be one of the best sword masters of his age group."

"My money's on Sora," said Hannah, "Ryoga may be tough, but Sora's fast. And he's someone who doesn't give up easily."

"We can only watch and wait," said Lisa. "Just so you folks at home know, today's matches will be fifteen minutes each. The fighters have that long to either knock their opponent out, incapacitate, force to submit or throw out of the ring. If the match lasts the full fifteen minutes, then the tournament officials will declare the winner based on how the fight was fought."

"Let's get one thing straight, Sora," said Ryoga after listening to the rules from the referee and bowing to each other, "whatever plan you and Ranma cooked up to keep me away from Akane, it's not going to work!"

"What?" a confused Sora asked, "what are you talking about? I'm here to win the tournament, while helping Ranma get a grip on his life. What you and Akane do is your business."

"But you and your friends made Akane upset!" said an irate Ryoga, "you've turned her life upside down when you conspired with Ranma! You hurt her, more so today when you tried to ruin her engagement with Ranma!"

"Akane seems to get herself upset all on her own," said Sora, "and what's this about you caring if Ranma and Akane aren't engaged anymore? I thought you of all people would be happy that she's single again!"

"But he's engaged to her!" Ryoga insisted, "and that makes him honor bound to keep her safe and happy!"

_:This guy has a really messed up overactive imagination,: _said Roxas.

_:And he's getting emotional again,: _said Sora, :_we're gonna have to be careful.:_ He then spoke aloud, "I'm not even going to argue with your delusions, Ryoga!" he raised his wooden Keyblade, "So I'm just going to kick your butt!"

"Not gonna happen!" said Ryoga as he took up his fighting stance, "after I beat you, I'll be in line to crush Ranma in the next round!"

"Ranma still has to fight Julia," said Sora, "but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"If you two are done jabbering," said the referee.

"I've got nothing else to say," said Sora.

"Then let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang!

"I won't let you take Akane from me!" shouted Ryoga as he rushed at Sora. Sora sidestepped and brought his Keyblade up to hit Ryoga, but Ryoga blocked it with his forearm.

Ryoga tried to kick Sora in the head and then punch him in the head. Sora dodged both attacks and struck back with a sword thrust and slash, both of which Ryoga blocked.

Ryoga then jumped back and pulled from behind his head several bandanas identical to the one on his forehead, "block these!" he shouted as he threw the bandanas as if they were shuriken. They sliced through the air at Sora. He tried to block one, but the cloth shuriken snapped the wooden Keyblade in half.

Sora managed to get out of the way as several more of the bandana shuriken tried to cut him.

"Let's see if you can hurt Akane now without your stick of a sword!" snapped Ryoga.

"I didn't hurt Akane, you idiot!" snapped Sora as he tossed his now useless wooden Keyblade aside, "she's perfectly capable of hurting herself all on her own!"

"I'll kill you!" shouted Ryoga. He then backed up to the far end of the ring and began charging up his ki.

"Oh no!" said Kairi, "Sora! Look out!"

"This is getting serious, boys and girls!" said Hank, "Sora's without a weapon, and Ryoga's getting ready for his Shishi Hokodon!"

"That idiot's gonna hurt someone!" said Ranma, "somebody stop the fight!"

"No," said Riku, "Sora's got this covered."

"How can he fight without his sword?" Kyle asked, "that blast Ryoga's charging's gonna turn him into haggis!"

"No," said Kairi, "Sora's going to win, just you watch!"

"Don't do this, Ryoga!" shouted Sora as he tried to think of a way to end the match without anyone in the audience getting hurt. He already had the workings of a plan in mind, it all depended on whether or not the referee would allow it. "You have to stop filling your heart with hate and despair! You're going to lose yourself to the darkness!"

"My whole life has been in darkness!" said Ryoga as he channeled his negative ki into his hands, "I've had nothing but pain and misery, so why should I care if my heart is full of darkness!"

_:He really _is _messed up,: _said Roxas, _:You sure you can handle this?:_

_:We're about to find out,: _said Sora. He then spoke aloud, "Alright, Ryoga, if you want to live in darkness, then I'll just have to drag you back into the light."

"Shut up!" snapped Ryoga, "take this! Shishi Hokodon!"

He shot his negative Ki blast at Sora. Sora knew that he couldn't dodge this one, but he had a chance to block it. He shouted "Wind!" and cast an Aero spell that completely absorbed the blast.

"How?" asked an emotionally drained Ryoga. He was still able to fight, but Sora wasn't taking any chances.

"Magic!" said Sora, "I'm not going to risk you hurting any more innocents with your delusions, so here's some more magic!" He didn't need his Keyblade to use magic, not this time. "Take this! Fire!" he shot several fireballs at Ryoga. He dodged most of them, but three hit him and delivered a lot of flaming damage.

"Deep Freeze!" shouted Sora as he froze Ryoga in place with a Blizzard spell.

"Thunder!" Ryoga was then electrocuted, shattering his frozen prison.

"Force!" shouted Sora, crushing Ryoga with a Gravity spell. Ryoga recovered from the magical barrage but was too disoriented to stop Sora from running up and delivering a right cross to his face that knocked him out of the ring.

"Ryoga's out of the ring!" shouted Lisa, "but what was that that Sora used!"

"And is it legal?" Hank asked.

"I certainly hope so," said Hannah.

The referee thought about it for a few seconds before answering, "I'll allow it! Ryoga's out! The winner is Sora!"

At that the audience went wild.

Sora then jumped off of the ring and went over to Ryoga, who was lying on the floor, his face contorted with hopelessness.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"I'd be lying if I said yes," said Ryoga as tears began to fall from his eyes, "why? Why me? Why am I always suffering?"

"You're only suffering if you see it that way," said Sora, "okay, you've had way, way, way more than your fair share of bad luck, and I can't promise that things will get better for you from now on. But one thing's for certain; there's always the chance that tomorrow will be better."

He knelt down next to Ryoga, "if you keep that in your heart and always try your best, if you have even the smallest spark of hope in your heart, then the darkness will never get you, and maybe, just maybe, you'll find that better tomorrow."

"You really think there's hope for me?" Ryoga asked, his voice straining with the desire to hope in the face of hopelessness.

"We won't know unless you try," said Sora as he held out his hand, "if nothing else, just try."

"Try," said Ryoga, "yeah, I'll try." he took Sora's hand and Sora helped him stand up, "I'll try ."

"There's always hope," sad Sora, "if you try. Oh, and stop blaming Ranma for all your problems, doing that will just make you feel worse. Remember, every problem has a solution, if you try."

"Yeah, try," said Ryoga. With that they shook hands.

Once again the audience went wild.

"Holy hamburgers on a Sunday!" said Hank, "after what started out as a titanic clash of enemies has turned into a new and beautiful friendship!"

"This tournament keeps getting better and better," said Lisa, "Sora overcame Ryoga's Shishi Hokodan with a brilliant display of magic and advances to the semifinals."

"And here I thought things couldn't get any better," said Hannah.

"You were awesome, Sora!" exclaimed Kairi as she happily embraced Sora.

"Amazing!" said Ukyo.

"Fantastic!" said Ian.

"Out of this world," said Adam.

"And Ryoga was no slouch either," said Jean-Louise, "he surprised even _moi_. And here I thought he was a hopeless waste of a human being."

"I've learned to hope again," said Ryoga, "and to get my head out of my ass," he then looked at Ranma, "I guess I owe you an apology for everything. I'm sorry I've been trying to kill you for so long."

"You sure you're alright?" Ranma asked, "I'm just saying that this is new for you."

"I feel alright," said Ryoga, "but…different. Yeah, I feel different somehow."

"As if a gargantuan weight has been from thine heart?" Tatewaki asked.

"Yeah!" said a surprised Ryoga.

"I feel the same way," said Tatewaki, "as if I were Atlas and I was told I no longer had to hold up the world, that I could put it down. I began feeling this way when Sir Sora defeated me in the ring of honor yesterday."

"And I felt different after I lost to Riku," said Mousse, "like I didn't have to be angry so much any more." he looked at Felicia, "and that's when I finally found my soul mate."

"Looks like losing to these two can change people for the better," said Felicia.

"Or maybe it's that they are just different," said Adam.

"I believe I know what it is," said Cologne, "it maybe their Keyblade powers. From what I've heard, Keyblade Wielders have an unfortunate habit to meddle in other peoples affairs. Perhaps Sora and Riku are meddling in our affairs for the better."

"What about me?" Kairi asked, "I didn't win."

"But Kairi open Shampoo's eyes," said the purple-haired Amazon, "helped Shampoo see her true love was in sight."

"If that's so," said Ryoga, "then I guess things have changed with us for the better."

"Well I certainly haven't changed!" said Kodatchi, "I'm my usual perfect self as always!"

"Wait until we fight," said Riku, "we'll see how you feel about yourself afterwards."

"Well, this has been enlightening for sure," said Julia as she stood up, "but it's time to get physical again," she looked at Ranma, "ain't that right?"

"Darn right," said Ranma as he stood up, "good luck, Julia," he held out his hand, and she shook it.

"You too, mate," said Julia. With that they headed for the ring.

Sora then heard what sounded like metal ripping. He looked and saw Akane tearing her chair in half.

"That jerk," muttered Akane through gritted teeth, "look at him, flirting with that floozy from down under! That jerk! That perverted jerk!"

"Oh for crying out loud," said an annoyed Ukyo.

"Why do you care who Ranma flirts with?" Riku asked, "and he wasn't flirting with her at all. They were just shaking hands."

"He was flirting with her," said Akane as she glared angrily at Ranma as he and Julia stepped onto the ring, "I could see it in his perverted eyes."

"This girl belongs in a straight jacket," said Kyle.

"You ain't kiding, my friend," said Ian.

"And here's match number 2 of the day, folks!" said Hank, "Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, vs. the Damsel from Down Under, Julia Eckhart."

"Both fighters have displayed equal striking power and speed," said Lisa, "and they are both equal in defense. This may come down to whoever can endure the most pain, for that's what this match could boil down to; a slugging match."

"I don't want to doubt Julia," said Hannah, "but my money's on Ranma."

Ranma and Julia had just finished listening to the rules from the referee and had bowed to each other. Ranma then stood back and watched as Julia performed her Ram Muay dance.

"That's some ritual you've got there," said Ranma.

"It's just my way of paying respect," said Julia as she finished her Ram Muay.

"Wish I had reason to respect my teachers," said Ranma, "my old man's been nothing but a pain in the neck all my life, and don't get me started on the others."

"Call social services then," said Julia, "if your dad's been irresponsible, then you should take action."

"It's not easy finding a telephone when you're treking all over the world," said Ranma, "you know, we swam from Japan to China?"

"Really?" Julia asked.

"The old man was too cheep to get us a boat," said Ranma, "he said it was good training."

"Not my idea of training," said Julia, "Me, I chop down banana trees with my elbows and shins."

"Talk about extreme," said Ranma.

"Any more extreme than wrestling water buffalo?" Julia asked.

"Now that's extreme," said Ranma. At that both she and Ranma laughed.

"Wrestling water buffalo isn't extreme," muttered Felicia from the fighters area, "It's standard Eskrima training."

"Are you two kids gonna talk all day?" asked the referee, "or are we going to get this on?"

"Easy, mate," said Julia, "we're just bantering."

Sora then heard Akane cry out in rage. She picked up a chair and throw it at Ranma, "You jerk!"

But Akane's rage disrupted her aim. Ranma saw the chair coming not at him but at Julia. "Watch out!" he shouted as he pulled Julia out of the way of the incoming chair.

"You're such a pervert, Ranma!" snapped Akane as she ran and jumped onto the ring, "Pig! Letcher! I hate you! I hate your freaking guts! I wish you would freaking die already!"

"What the hell are you talking about!" shouted Julia, "we're just bantering!"

"Get out of here, Akane!" said Ranma.

"Don't you tell me what to do!" shouted Akane.

"Uh-oh, folks!" said Hank, "looks like things are going to get even more wild than they have been."

"Just get out of here, Akane!" said Ranma, "don't make a bigger fool of yourself than you already are!"

"You're the fool!" said Akane.

"You'd better listen to him, young lady," said the referee, "go back to your seat now, or you're disqualified from the tournament!"

"But he's flirting with that floozy" snapped Akane.

"He did no such thing, you god damned idiot!" said Julia, "if anything, I'm doing the flirting! And it's just friendly flirting."

From not of nowhere Akane pulled out a large wooden mallet, "I'll kill you!" she shouted as she raised her mallet.

But Ranma moved in and disarmed Akane before she could attack, "stop it! Now! You're just making things worse."

"This is your last warning, young lady!" said the referee, "go back to your seat or you're finished in this tournament!"

Akane glared at Ranma, Julia and the Referee, but then she relented and went back to the fighters area.

"Wow," said Hannah, "I haven't seen a couple this dysfunctional since the time my Uncle Earl and Aunt Pearle got into a fight over the last box of cupcakes at the supermarket."

"Nice family you've got," said Lisa.

"Are you two done jabbering?" the referee asked.

"I've got nothing else to say," said Julia.

"Me neither," said Ranma as they both took up their fighting stances.

"Then let's get it on!" said the referee while the big bell rang.

"Here I go!" said Julia as she and Ranma rushed at each other. She tried to bash Ranma in the head with her elbow, but he blocked it. He tried to punch her in the face, but she blocked it with her forearm.

She tried kick him in the stomach with her knee and he tried to kick her in the head but they both blocked each other.

"Not too shabby, mate," said Julia as she and Ranma continued to trade blows, "not too shabby."

"You're pretty good yourself," said Ranma.

"Naturally," said Julia. She then moved so fast, her arm was like a blur, and punched Ranma in the face. He tried to counter, but Julia dodged his fists. She then kicked him in the side, then the other side, all before he could counter.

"Uh-oh!" said Lisa, "looks like Ranma's in trouble!"

"Julia's showing a dazzling display of speed!" said Hank, "where did this sudden acceleration come from!"

"Your guess is as good as mine!" said Lisa.

"Sweet niblets, she's fast!" said Hannah.

"What is Saotome doing?" exclaimed Tatewaki as he and the others winced from watching Ranma take an especially brutal kick to the stomach, then another elbow chop to the face.

"Get the lead out already, Ranma!" shouted Mousse.

"You're way faster than her, Ranma!" shouted Ryoga, "you can take this Aussie down!"

"_Now _they like him," said Sora.

"They've all had a life-changing experience," said Kairi.

"Yeah," said Riku, "meeting us."

By now Ranma was seriously disoriented from Julia's seemingly unbeatable speed.

"Here it comes!" said Julia triumphantly after delivering afew more strikes, "this is the end!" she reared back and delivered an earth-shattering cobra punch to Ranma's face, knocking him to the floor.

"Ranma!" shouted both Ukyo and Shampoo.

"Ranma darling!" shouted Kodatchi.

"And Ranma Saotome is down, folks!" shouted Hank, "and he doesn't seem to be getting up!"

"He's out flatter than a pancake that's been run over by a steamroller!" said Hannah.

"Who would want to get up after that?" Lisa asked

The referee began counting, "One! Two! Three!"

"Get up, Ranma!" shouted Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ryoga, Ukyo, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Shampoo and Mousse.

"Four! Five! Six!"

"This really looks like the end of Ranma," said Lisa.

"Poor guy," said Hannah, "he never stood a chance."

"Seven! Eight! Nine!"

Just then Ranma jumped back up and smiled as he got back into his fighting stance, "sorry that took so long, I was thinking."

"You were…thinking?" a confused Julia asked.

"About what Adam said when I fought him yesterday," said Ranma, "about using his full potential. The way I figure it, he was holding back yesterday, and if we had had more time, he would have shown me what he truly was made off. And the way you were so fast just now, you were using more of your potential as well, right?"

At that Julia smiled, "guilty as charged."

"Is that true?" Sora asked Adam, "were you holding back yesterday?"

"Unfortunately yes," said Adam.

"We all were holding back," said Jean-Louise, while Felicia, Ian and Kyle nodded in agreement.

"If we had had time we would really have shown the world what we could do," said Kyle, "but the blokes who planned the tournament decided to have time limits on the matches."

"Remind me to talk to the event planner about the next tournament," said Felicia, "from now on, no more time limits."

"Unbelievable!" said Hank, "after getting his behind handed to him, Ranma comes back for more!"

"But can he survive another high-speed assault from Julia?" Lisa asked, "and still win before time runs out?"

"Okay then," said Ranma, "you've shown me what you've got, now it's my turn!" he rushed at Julia faster than she could react and delivered a multi kick and punch attack that left her wobbly.

"Take this!" shouted Ranma, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" he then delivered so many punched that it was nearly impossible to count, they were so fast.

The massive barrage of fists knocked Julia to the floor, completely out cold, leading the referee to declare a TKO. At that the audience went wild.

"What an outstanding comeback!" said Hank, "Just when it seemed that Julia was about to claim victory, Ranma pulled out a miracle and advances to the semifinals!"

"Julia was fast," said Lisa, "but Ranma was faster by far."

"Faster than Aunt Pearl after a pig on bacon day," said Hannah.

"I'll say it again," remarked Lisa, "nice family you've got."

By then Julia had regained consciousness and was helped back onto her feet by Ranma, "you okay?" he asked.

"I've been better," said Julia in a depressed tone, "how'd you do that? I thought I had the advantage in speed."

"You did," said Ranma, "I could tell you were using your ki to boost your speed. So I did the same."

"So you can use your ki better than I can," said Julia, she then smiled, "looks like I'll just have to try harder next time, right?"

"I'll be waiting," said Ranma.

"Well," sighed Kyle, "that does it, we've all been eliminated from the tournament." At that Jean-Louise, Ian, Felicia and Adam all sighed as well.

"We tried our best," said Adam, "that's all we can do."

"But our best wasn't good enough this time," said Ian.

"Looks like more training for us," said Felicia, "and here I thought wrestling three water buffalos a day was enough."

"I'll have to run five marathons a week instead of just four," said Ian.

"And I thought our training was hell," said an exasperated Riku.

"Speaking of hell," said Felicia as she eyed the smug-looking Kodatchi, "remember, she cheats, a lot."

"Don't ever let your guard down with that one," said Mousse, "she'll rip you apart in a heartbeat."

"Like I'll ever underestimate her," said Riku. He looked at Kodatchi, "whenever you're ready."

"I could say the same of you," said Kodatchi as she stood up, "this will not take long." she carried only her ribbon.

"Is that your only weapon?" Riku asked.

"That is all I will need," said Kodatchi as she smiled suspiciously.

"She's got a fast one planned," said Sora, "I can tell."

"Please be careful, Riku," said Kairi.

"I will," said Riku. He and Kodatchi then headed for the ring, just as Ranma and Julia came back.

"Be patient, Ranma darling," said Kodatchi, "I shall soon return victorious, then we will be just one match away from facing each other in the finals. And then we can declare the tournament a draw, that our love for each other will not allow ourselves to fight!" With that she skipped towards the ring, laughing maniacally.

"What planet is she from?" Julia asked.

"This one, I guess," said Ranma, "but it would sure explain a few things if she weren't."

"Your friend Riku's up next," said Jake, "he's fighting that psychopath gymnast."

"This won't take long," said Aiden, "no crazy girl, gymnast or not, can beat Riku, trust me."

"Are you sure?" Rico asked, "care to put your money where your mouth is?"

"Hell no!" said Aiden.

"Just let it go, Rico," said Jackson.

"And miss out on the chance to make more money?" Rico asked deviously, "never!" he then laughed like the evil genius he was.

"Makes you wonder," said Jake to Aiden, "if Rico and Kodatchi aren't related somehow."

"Or maybe they're compatible," said Jackson.

"It does make me wonder," said Aiden.

"And now we're at the third match, folks!" said Hank, "Riku vs. Kodatchi Kuno!"

"Riku's shown some awesome skills with his blade," said Lisa, "but does he have what it takes to defeat the unpredictable Black Rose?"

"I say he's gonna trim this Black Rose down to size," said Hannah.

"Let's get one thing straight," said Riku as he and Kodatchi bowed to each other after hearing the rules, "you can do whatever you want, but if you try to break the rules in any way, I won't hold back. If there's one thing that grinds my gears it's when someone thinks they can get away with cheating."

"Whatever do you mean?" Kodatchi asked innocently as she held up her ribbon, "I always play fair."

"In a pig's eye you do!" said Riku as he hefted his wooden Keyblade.

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Kodatchi laughed again as she twirled her ribbon about, "and now we shall see the true prowess of the delicate flower of Martial Arts Rhythm Gymnastics! Behold, Riku! The might of The Black Rose!" she slashed her ribbon at Riku as if it were a bullwhip. He dodged it, only to dodge another ribbon slash.

"She's got a fast one planned," said Ryoga, "but what?"

"Knowing my sister," said Tatewaki, "it would be diabolical indeed."

"This ain't looking good for Riku!" said Lisa, "Kodatchi's using that ribbon to keep Riku from getting close! All Kodatchi needs is to score one hit and keep Riku away from her and she'll win on points alone!"

"Talk about being so close and so far away," said Hannah.

"Enough fooling around!" shouted Riku, "let's get serious!" he rushed at Kodatchi and ducked under a ribbon slash, "that thing's no good if I get close enough!"

"Who said it was my only weapon!" shouted Kodatchi. She pulled out from nowhere a gymnastic club at threw it at Riku. He blocked it with his wooden Keyblade, but that was a distraction that allowed Kodatchi to jump away from Riku.

"Why you lying witch!" snapped Riku, "you said that you would only use your ribbon!"

"I said it was the only one I would need," said Kodatchi as she twirled her ribbon over head, "I never said I wouldn't use anything else. Now, I shall claim victory!"

She shot her ribbon at Riku and ensnared him by his right wrist. He unwound himself from the ribbon and prepared to counterattack, but he gasped in sudden pain and clutched at his wrist. Where the ribbon had grabbed him, his skin was brightly inflamed and beginning to blister.

"What the hell!" said Riku.

"What the hell?" said Adam, Ian and Kyle.

"Oh that dirty bitch!" said an irate Ukyo.

"What?" Sora asked, "what did she do?"

"What's this now?" Hank asked, "It's like Riku's suddenly developed a case of poison ivy!"

"That's what she did!" said Kairi, "Kodatchi must have soaked her ribbon in poison ivy sap!"

"If that's true," said Felicia asked, "how come her hands aren't itching? She's been touching that ribbon a lot."

"My sister doth be familiar with a wide variety of poisons and toxins," said Tatewaki, "no doubt she hath developed immunity to all manner of vile substances known to man."

"She can't get away with this!" said an irate Sora, "can she?"

"It all depends on the referee," said Ranma, "but I won't be surprised if he allows it."

After a few seconds of careful consideration, the referee spoke, "I'll allow it!"

"So, you found a way to cheat after all," said Riku to Kodatchi as he ignored the nearly indescribable itching on his wrist, "you really are a piece of work, Kodatchi Kuno, and a cheap piece at that."

"What did you call me!" the insane gymnast asked.

"You are cheap!" said Riku, "and you need professional help, badly!"

"I am not cheap!" shouted Kodatchi as she rushed headlong at Riku, wildly swinging her ribbon about.

Riku then maneuvered so he would trip Kodatchi and she landed flat on her face. He kicked the ribbon away from her. Kodatchi then pulled out a handful of clubs in one hand and a ball in the other. Riku merely kicked those out of her hands. He then knelt down and prepared to punch her hard in the face. Kodatchi cringed in fearful anticipation, her eyes shut at she waited for the blow to fall.

Riku then relaxed and tapped her on the forehead. Kodatchi opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion, "what…? Why…? Why didn't you finish your attack?"

"I did," said Riku as he stood up and walked away, "it's over. I've beaten the best you've got. Nothing you do now will make a difference," he turned his back on her, "unless you still think you can cheat your way to victory. Maybe you do enjoy the taste of ashes in your mouth, for that's what ill-gotten victory truly tastes like. If you weren't so crazy, you'd know the truth."

That left Kodatchi completely speechless. When the referee asked if she was able to continue, she merely blinked in confusion.

"Kodatchi is unable to continue!" said the referee, "the winner is Riku!" With that the audience went wild.

"How about that, folks," said Hank, "Riku goes in, completely unprepared for an ingenious dirty trick from Kodatchi, and he ends up turning the tables on her. With Kodatchi apparently catatonic, Riku advances to the semifinals."

"Talk about taking someone down a size," said Lisa.

"More like letting all the air out of a hot air balloon," said Hannah, "I guessed that Kodatchi was full of hot air, and now she's been deflated like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon on Black Friday."

"Told you Riku would win," said Aiden to Rico, "not so eager to waste your money on gambling any more, are you?"

"Oh shut up," said an irate Rico as he hastily pocketed his cash.

"What has thou done to my sister?" exclaimed Tatewaki as a pair of medics escorted the still silent Kodatchi back to the fighters area.

"I only opened her eyes to the truth," said Riku as he sat down and tried not to scratch his inflamed wrist. Now that he didn't need to focus on the match, he realized that the itching in his wrist was much, much worse than he thought.

"I got it," said Kairi as she sat next to Riku and used her healing magic. Within seconds the inflammation was gone. "Honestly, the things you and Sora do to yourselves. What did you do before I discovered my powers?"

"Lots of Potions, High-potions and Mega-Potions," said Sora, "and a whole lot of Healing spells."

"What he said," said Riku.

By then Kodatchi was speaking again. She looked up wt Tatewaki with eyes full of depression, "brother? I…I think that I may be mad after all."

"_Now _she says it!" said Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse, Ukyo and Shampoo.

"We shall seek the best professional help that can be found, dear sister," said Tatewaki, "as heaven as my witness, I shall not rest until thy mind be cured!"

"I think all you need to do is be there for her," said Riku, "she'll need all the support she can get," he looked at Kodatchi, "admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery."

"I do believe you are right," said Kodatchi. She then looked at Ranma, "you'll wait for me, Ranma darling, while I regain my sanity, will you?"

"Just humor her," said Kyle in a hushed tone, "I'll fix things later."

"Uh…yeah," said Ranma, "I'll wait for you."

"I knew you cared!" exclaimed Kodatchi as she jumped up and embraced Ranma.

"Why don't you both get a room already!" snapped Akane.

"Why don't you shut up already!" snapped Ukyo, "you know, I'm getting really sick of you always treating Ranma like dirt."

"Well that's what he is!" snapped Akane.

Shampoo then abruptly slapped Akane across the face, "you call Ranma bad names again, Shampoo kill you!"

"That won't be necessary," said Cologne, "but I agree with your attitude, granddaughter," she looked at Akane, "for your own good, I suggest you stop insulting Ranma."

"I'll say what I want, to who I want, whenever I want to!" exclaimed Akane as she felt her face where Shampoo slapped her.

"Oh give it a rest already," said Ranma, "we're all sick of it."

"I'm starting to agree," said Soun tentatively, "you are getting a little out of hand, Akane."

"I almost forgot he and the other idiot was here," said Riku.

"Who, that idiot?" Kairi asked, pointing at Genma, who was stuffing his face at the nearby food service table.

"Well, this has been, mildly distracting, to say the least," said Tom Smith as he stood up, "but now the true entertainment begins," he looked at Akane with his cold eyes, "shall we?" with that he walked towards the ring.

"You'd better get going, Akane," said Nodoka, "unless you want to forfeit. Though I think it would be better if you did, for your own safety."

"I never forfeit," said Akane as she hurried towards the ring.

"That girl has no sense in her head," said Cologne.

"It's like she had a complete lobotomy, or something," said Ukyo.

"I think we've found a winner here," said Hades as he and Ursula watched Tom Smith and Akane walk to the ring, "that girl is just the sort of messed-up heart that we've been looking for."

"What gave it away?" Ursula asked, "her irrational hate of men? Or her overall foul temper?"

"That and so much more," said Hades, "the other fighters," he pointed at Ryoga, Ukyo, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Shampoo and Mousse, "they also had darkness in their hearts that we could exploit. A few offers here, a signed contract there, a few handshakes and bingo! Instant Heartless!

"But then those meddling brats," the disguised god of the underworld pointed at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "they changed the other targets for the better. Now only that uncute tomboy is left, and I don't think any meddling will change her."

"She is carrying a heavy heart," said Ursula in a contemplative manner, "and her state of mind is rather unbalanced as well. She may be the ideal candidate after all. Assuming our champ doesn't break her first."

"And here's the last match of the quarterfinals, boys and girls!" said Hank, "The Ill-tempered Tomboy Akane Tendo vs. The Mysterious and Sadistic Tom Smith."

"Both have displayed tremendous physical strength," said Lisa, "but will Akane's vicious temper overcome Tom Smith's cruel brutality?"

"I hope so," said Hannah., "otherwise, they'll be picking up Akane in pieces."

"Are you scared, little girl?" Tom Smith asked after he and Akane heard the rules and bowed to each other, "afraid I'll break your nails?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" said Akane in a stubborn tone, "I'm not afraid of anyone or anything!"

"Then why is your heart pounding like a jackhammer?" Tom Smith asked, "oh yes, I can hear the terror in your heart. I can see the horror in your eyes, and I can smell the hopelessness wafting from your pores," he inhaled through his nose deeply, "like fine perfume."

"You're just trying to freak me out!" said a slightly unnerved Akane, "well it's not gonna work! I'm gonna win and in the next round I'll beat that Riku pervert! Then I'll beat the other guy in the finals! I hope it's that jerk Ranma!"

"Did she just call me a pervert!" exclaimed Riku, "I never did anything to her!"

"She calls us all perverts," said Ranma, "you'll get used to it."

"I'll tell you what," said Tom Smith, "I'll give you until three minutes into the match to knock me down. In those three minutes, I won't use any offensive techniques, only defensive. If you can knock me down once in those three minutes, I'll forfeit, and you can have your chance to destroy those you hate so much."

"Three minutes?" Akane asked in an unsure tone, "and you won't fight back? Only block and dodge? That's all?"

"That's all," said Tom Smith.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Akane asked.

"For all you know I am lying," said Tom Smith, "honesty has never been a virtue with me. You'll just have to gamble. Unless, you're a coward as well as an uncute tomboy."

"I am not a tomboy!" snapped Akane, her face twisted with rage as she assumed her fighting stance, "and I'm no coward! You've just handed this match to me, jerk!"

"Yes!" said Tom Smith as he assumed his fighting stance, a vicious smile on his face, "unleash your anger and hate! Only the darkness in your heart can defeat me!"

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Akane shouted in rage as she rushed at Tom Smith. He calmly stood his ground as Akane unladed a furious barrage of punches and kicks at him. He merely blocked the blows with one hand.

"This is one weird match, folks!" said Hank, "Akane is giving it her all, but Tom Smith is acting like this were nothing!"

"Almost like he's bored!" said Lisa.

"I think he is," said Hannah.

Tom Smith yawned and covered his mouth with his free hand while he continued to block Akane's attacks with the other, "is that all you've got? Is this the best you can do with your own inner darkness? I expected more."

Akane began punching and kicking harder and faster, but Tom Smith kept blocking with just one hand.

"He's toying with her!" said Ranma, "I've fought with and against Akane enough times to know that she's at her best, and as pathetic as she can be sometimes, this is her best. But that guy, he's on a whole other level. No, more like a while other planet!"

"You don't mean…" said a horrified Soun, "that Akane, my daughter, she'll lose?" he acted like the words were like poison on his tongue.

"This match was decided before it even began," said Cologne, "Akane doesn't stand a chance once this dark fighter goes on the offensive."

"Then end it before it's too late," said Nodoka to Soun, "you're her father and are responsible for her wellbeing. Go out there and throw in the towel before Akane gets hurt!"

"But…but the schools!" said Soun, "if I end the fight, Akane's reputation as a martial artist could be ruined! The Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts rests in Akane's hands, and if her reputation as a martial artist is ruined, then so is the school."

"Her very life as a martial artist is in danger, you fool!" snapped Nodoka.

"But…but the schools!" said Soun again.

Just then the time on the match passed the three minute mark.

"I'm still standing," said a viciously grinning Tom Smith, "Again, I expected more, and you dissapointed me. But I'm a sporting man," he jumped back a pace and stood with his arms at his side, "I'll give you one more minute. This time I will not fight back at all. Give me everything you've got, and if you can knock me down, the match is yours."

Akane hesitated as Tom Smith just stood there, smirking at her.

"What's the matter?" Tom Smith asked, "aren't you going to even try? You've already wasted ten seconds, so I suggest you get to it already."

"Don't do it, Akane!" shouted Ranma, "he'll kill you! Forfeit while you've still got the chance to walk away in one piece!"

"Shut up, you jerk!" snapped Akane. She then rushed at Tom Smith and furiously kicked him in the face, then punched him. But he just stood there, unconcerned that he had just been hit twice with enough force to break several cinderblocks.

"Is that all?" Tom Smith asked in a borred tone.

Akane then began punching and kicking him again and again, but he took her attacks as if they were feather caresses.

"Oh this gonna end bad," said Ukyo, "I don't think I can watch."

Just then the allotted minute passed, "time's up!" said Tom Smith, "now it's my turn!" he then seemed to vanish, only to appear behind Akane and kick her in the back hard enough to send her flying forward.

Tom Smith then vanished and appeared in front of Akane and punched her to the ground. He then picked her up and threw her across the ring, then kicked her before she landed.

He then picked her up by her hair and tossed her into the air, only to kick her back down to the floor.

"Ranma!" shouted a terrified Akane as Tom Smith picked her up again, "Help me, Ranma! Please help me!"

To Sora, Ranma seemed to be acting on instinct as he prepared to jump across the arena and land in the ring to save Akane. But Nodoka stopped him, "you can't! If you interfere, you'll be disqualified!"

"But…Akane," said Ranma in an unsure tone, as if he realized that he was about to do what he was about to do.

"I'll handle it," said Nodoka in a reassuring manner. She then glared at Soun, "if you won't take responsibility for your own, daughter, then I will!" she ran to the side of the ring and shouted to the referee, "we forfeit! Stop the fight!"

"The towel has been thrown in!" said the referee, "the winner is Tom Smith!"

"Are you serious?" Tom Smith asked as he held up the seriously damaged Akane. She was barely conscious and severely bruised all over and had multiple cuts from her head down to her toes, and more than a handful of fractured bones.

"Oh, alright," sighed Tom Smith as he tossed Akane over his shoulder. Ranma and Sora had by then reached the ring and caught Akane before she hit the ground, "Take that useless sack of garbage, she bores me." With that he jumped down from the ring and walked towards the arena exit.

The audience clapped only halfheartedly.

"Well, that was…different," said Hank, "once again Tom Smith displays his seemingly invincible brutality and advances to the semifinals."

"This guy is unreal," said Lisa, "can't anyone stop him?"

"I hope so," said Hannah in a desperate tone

"I hope you're all hoping the same thing, folks," said Hank, "and with that, the quarterfinals of the Tournament of Light is finished. We'll be back tomorrow for the semifinals, and later, the final round in which the championship will be decided. See you then!"

"Is she alright?" Kairi asked as the medics looked Akane over.

"I hope so," said Sora, "nobody deserves getting what she got from that creep."

"That idiot!" said Ranma, "that stupid, stupid Akane! Why won't she ever listen to reason?"

"She's the kind of person who can't see reason for what it is," said Riku, "she's just a stubborn fool."

"And you are a pervert!" snapped Akane as she pushed her way past the medics, clearly well enough to assert herself, "And you, Ranma! Where the hell were you when I needed you?"

"It's not my fault!" said Ranma, "I couldn't jump into the ring without being disqualified!"

"Well you should have been disqualified!" said Akane, "for all the good you are!"

"Stop it!" snapped Nodoka, "I've had enough of you treating my son like dirt!"

"Well that's what he is!" shouted Akane. With that she ran out of the arena.

"She'll be alright," said Ranma in an unconcerned tone, "she's probably on her way to gorge herself at the nearest fast food joint. It's okay, mom, I'm used to Akane's abuse, but I'm not gonna take it any more," he glared at Soun and Genma, "if you two idiots are still thinking of me and Akane marrying, forget it!"

"Ranma is his own person!" said Ukyo as she stood next to Ranma, "you never had any right to run his life, so don't even think of trying to run it now."

"Darn right!" said Ryoga as Shampoo, Mousse, Tatewaki and Kodatchi nodded in agreement.

"And if you still have a problem with it," said Adam, "you'll have to go through us."

"Darn right," said Ian while Felicia, Kyle, Julia and Jean-Louise nodded in agreement.

"Count us in as well," said Sora, while Riku and Kairi nodded in agreement.

"You two gentlemen are alone on this," said Cologne, "so wake up to reality; your offspring have no future together."

"But…but the schools!" protested a now tearful Soun.

"What about the future of the Anything Goes style?" Genma asked.

"I told you already," said Ranma, "screw the schools. I'll start my own."

"And we'll all help," said Sora, while Adam, Ryoga and the others nodded in agreement.

"So I suggest you two go find Akane and take her home," said Nodoka, "there's nothing else for her here."

"This isn't over, Nodoka!" exclaimed Genma as he and a still crying Soun left the arena to find Akane.

"Those two are even dumber than Akane," said Ukyo.

"It'll take a miracle for them to find Akane a husband that'll except her for who she really is," said Ryoga.

"I thought you'd be on cloud 9 now that I'm not engaged to her anymore, Ryoga," said Ranma.

"I thought I'd be," said Ryoga in a slightly distant tone, "but for some reason, I don't want her any more."

"Neither do I," said Tatewaki, "now that I hath seen Akane Tendo for the shrew she be, I have no desire to pursue a relationship with her."

"Well look who finally grew a brain!" said Ukyo.

* * *

"That was awesome!" said Rico as he, Jackson, Jake and Aiden got up from their seats, "did you see what Tom Smith did! How he totally destroyed that girl? It was awesome!"

"And you are one evil little troll," said Jackson.

"So is Tom Smith," said Aiden, "that…thing…whatever he is, and I'm convinced he's not human. He was putting out a lot of bad vibes, I could sense them all the way up here."

"Sounds like you know what evil is all about," said Jake.

"More than you can realize," said Aiden.

"Well at least we all know who the tournament winner is," said Rico, "anyone want to bet against Tom Smith?"

"Will you stop it with the betting already!" exclaimed Jackson, "yes, you have more money than you know what to do with and we're poor! Well, not Jake and Aiden, but that's no excuse!"

"Then what is?" Rico asked as he walked away.

"That little guy has Villain written all over him," said Aiden, "he's like a big sign advertising 'Evil Genius!'"

"Tell me about it," said Jackson, "I used to work for him; talk about being driven like a slave." he then saw something that made him smile widely, "if you'll excuse me, I've got this covered." he then walked over to talk to a pair of exceptionally cure girls.

"Let me guess," said Aiden, "hopeless romantic?"

"In a nutshell," said Jake.

Jackson then said something to one of the girls and she slapped him hard across the face. The two girls then left Jackson with looks of disgust on their faces.

"Shot down in flames," said Jake.

"In a nutshell," said Aiden.

Just then one of the girl's mother stomped over and slapped Jackson.

"More like blown out of the water," said Jake.

The woman then pulled out a can of mace and sprayed Jackson in the face. He clutched at his face in agony.

"Okay, that's just overkill," said Aiden.

Just then a pair of security guards came over and tackled Jackson, put him in handcuffs and dragged him off to the security office.

"Now that's just cruel," said Jake, "but, he'll be alright, I hope."

"It's things like that that remind me why I'm perfectly happy being single," said Aiden.

"Being single is okay," said Jake, "but not forever. So, want to meet Hannah Montana?"

"You serious?" Aiden asked. All thoughts of his shocking revelation from the night before were driven from his mind, "hell yes!"

* * *

Miley excused herself from the commentators booth and hurried to the access corridors of the arena and found a nearby bathroom. She took her wing off and turned the cold water on at the closest sink. She splashed her face to relieve the terrible sensation running through herself that seemed to emanate from her heart. For some reason, something about Tom Smith frightened her, as if she had just been in the presence of pure evil.

Lilly, as Lola, (wearing a short orange wig with a green and white top and a blue and purple skirt with outlandishly sparkly shoes) walked in. "Miley, you okay?" she asked in a comforting manner.

"That guy was freaky," said Miley, "more freaky than that time Aunt Pearl served…something…other than a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner."

"I know," said Lilly as she took her wig off, "he's creepy."

"More than freaky and creepy," said Miley, "like…like he was evil itself. I've got a really bad feeling about this, like something bad is going to happen."

"Like what?" Lilly asked, "like the world's gonna end if he wins the tournament?"

"You just had to put that thought in my mind," said Miley an annoyed tone.

"Sorry," said Lilly, "well, okay, um…okay then. There's still a chance Riku will beat him tomorrow. So, why don't I go find Oliver and we all go talk to Sora, Riku and Kairi, and wish Riku good luck tomorrow, 'cause she's sure gonna need it."

"We're gonna need to work on your pep talk skills," said Miley.

Just then Miley's phone beeped, signaling a text, "it's from Jake, he want's to know if I'm okay," she sighed joyfully, "he cares so much!"

"You'd think he's completely changed from that time in Vegas," said Lilly as Miley texted a response, saying that she's alright and she just needed a minute.

"He has changed," said Miley, "and we're gonna prove it to my dad, and he'll give his blessing, and Jake and I will be together, and he and Hannah will make a lot of movies together, starting with a remake of Xanadu. We'll be the new Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astare."

"And I'm Betty Davis," said a sarcastic Lilly.

Miley's phone then rang with another incoming text, "Jake's glad that I'm alright. He also wants to know if I'm up to saying hello to a friend of his, a martial artist who got eliminated from the tournament and was really looking forward to meeting me at the party."

"Isn't that Sora's friend, Aiden?" Lilly asked. "The guy you sent that VIP ticket to?"

"I'll bet he is," said Miley. She typed a response, "'Jake, Hannah would love to meet your friend. We'll meet you soon. XOXO, Miley.'"

"'XOXO?'" Lilly asked as she and Miley put their wings back on.

"I would have put in more," said Miley as she reapplied her makeup, "but then I'd be over the limit on our texting plan."

"Sorry I asked," said Lilly. With that she and Miley put their wigs back on and got back into their characters.

Outside the bathroom they saw Robbie Ray walking towards them. With him was Quincy Fairchild and Elaine Roberts, as well as Special Agents Travis Bachman and Rebecca Covington.

"You okay, darlin'?" Robbie Ray asked.

"She just needed a minute," said Lilly, "That Tom Smith guy really freaked her out."

"That man is disturbing," said Elaine, "disturbing and rotten to the core."

"We'll have to input a psychological screening for the application process for the next tournament," said Quincy.

"I'm alright, daddy," said Miley, "just a little shook up."

"Well, as long as you're okay," said Robbie Ray.

"Unfortunately things otherwise aren't okay," said Rebecca.

"We have bad news," said Elaine, "then good news and then more bad news."

"Which do you want first?" Travis asked.

"Uh, the less bad news," said an unsure Hannah.

"The less bad news it is then," said Rebecca, "the maniac who's threatening to kidnap you at the award ceremony at the end of the tournament is still at large. We still have no idea who he is or where he is hiding."

"That's the less bad news?" Lilly asked.

"The other news is much worse," said Quincy, "we had a breach of security last night at one of the Heartstone Foundation's laboratories. I can't say how it happened, or why it happened, but Happosai escaped and is on the lose in the city."

"Big time philanthropist say what!" a shocked Miley asked.

"That little old pervert is on the lose?" Lilly asked, "how could you let this happen!"

"That's what I want to know," said Robbie Ray, "'cause no geriatric pervert's gonna lay a finger on my daughter!"

"Believe me we did not intend this," said Elaine, "we had the best security we could get, but…circumstances went out of our control. But we've got our best people looking for him. If he comes anywhere near you, Ms. Montana, we'll bulldog him fast as lighting."

"Which brings us to the good news," said Travis, "The FBI did a serious background check on Happosai. Despite his…colorful record, there's no indication that he's the stalker."

"So what you're telling me is that now there's two crazy people after me?" Miley asked.

"That's about it," said Travis, "I guess that's not really good news after all."

Just then Miley's phone rang, "oh, I've got to go meet Jake."

"You're doing what now?" Robbie Ray asked.

"Jake?" Rebecca asked, "as in Jake Ryan?"

"Oh, my daughters are such big fans!" said Travis, "you think you could get his autograph for them?"

"I'll see what I can do," said Miley. She then looked at Robbie Ray, "I'm just going to say hi to a friend of his, then go talk to some of my friends, then I'll come straight home, nothing big will happen, just talking, okay, daddy?"

"Don't worry," said Lilly, "I'll make sure she behaves."

"Well," said Robbie Ray, "as long as you behave." Just then his cell phone rang with a text, "oh for pete's sake!" he looked at Miley, "I got to go pick your brother up at the security booth."

"What'd he do now?" sighed Miley.

"He was talking to some girl and her mother thought he was harassing her. Security then tackled and arrested him."

"I told you we had the best security for the tournament," said Elaine.

* * *

"Can you believe what happened to Jackson?" Aiden asked Jake as they waited at a different part of the arena, "That was just cruel and unusual."

"That happens a lot to Jackson," said Jake, "he'll be alright."

"I hope so," said Aiden, "he's a nice person who deserves good things."

"Don't we all," said Jake, "so, ready to meet Hannah?"

"I can't believe this!" said an elated and slightly nervous Aiden, "I'm going to meet her!"

"You're ready," said Jake.

Just then Hannah and Lola, accompanied by Mike(Oliver), and a few yards back by Roxy, walked up, "hi, Jake!" said Hannah, "how's your producing project going?"

"I should get the green light any day now," said Jake, "just think, Hannah, in a few months, you'll be on camera as a roller-skating muse."

"I didn't know you can roller-skate," said Mike.

"Neither did I," said Hannah, "so, Jake, if I'll be filling in for Olivia Newton-John, who will be singing the ELO songs?"

"I've been thinking about that," said Jake, "what do you think about having The Jonas Brothers working with us?"

"I'd say you're a genius, Jake!" said Hannah. She then saw Aiden, "Oh, is this your friend?"

"Aiden Mackenzie," said Jake, "meet Hannah Montana."

"I love your music," said Aiden in a slightly nervous and very excited tone , "I've only had time to listen to a few of your songs, but you're so great…and…and…and…"

"It's okay," said Hannah, "I know what you're trying to tell me. So, you enjoying the VIP seats?"

"Like eating an entire apple pie all by yourself," said Aiden, "sweet till the last bite. I can't thank you enough, Miley."

"You're very welcome," said Hannah, she then blinked in surprise "wait…say what?"

Aiden then realized he just made a terrible mistake, "I…uh…I mean, Hannah! Yes, I mean, thank you so much, Hannah. I'm having the time of my life, Miley! I mean Hannah! I…oh, crap!"

"Uh…who's this Miley?" Lola hastily asked.

"Isn't that Jake's old girlfriend?" Mike asked.

"Uh…yeah," said Jake, "but we're still friends."

For some strange reason, Miley suddenly had the sensation that she could trust Aiden with her secret, that it was important to be truthful with him. She looked at Roxy, "are we alone?"

"You bet," said Roxy, "no sign of anyone else, civilian or paparazzi slime."

"Good," said Miley as she took her wig off, "it's okay, Aiden. It's me alright."

**The end of chapter 7.**

Next chapter will bring about more startling revelations as Sora and the others prepare for the semifinals. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8: The Semifinals

Last time found Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden discussing the possibility that Miley is Hannah. Realizing that they may be onto something big, they decided to keep it quite for now. Elsewhere, the four Hakonians broke into a warehouse owned by the Heartstone Foundation, where the founders of said foundation revealed to the captive Happosai that they did a lot of work protecting humanity from evil, especially when it came to eliminating pests like Happosai. But then Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad made their move, forcing the Heartstone founders to reveal their own special gifts. One thing lead to another, resulting in Happosai escaping into the city.

The next day at the tournament, Adam and shampoo surprised everyone by announcing that they were now officially engaged. Nodoka then decided to take matters into her hands by formally annulling the engagement between Ranma and Akane. To say that Akane took it hard would be an understatement.

The world was then treated to an outstanding Quarterfinal round as Sora defeated Ryoga, Ranma defeated Julia, Riku defeated Kodatchi, while Tom Smith defeated Akane.

After the fights were finished, Jake took aident o meet Hannah, but things didn't go according to plan as Aiden inadvertently called Hannah Miley. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 8: The Semifinals**

For some strange reason, Miley suddenly had the sensation that she could trust Aiden with her secret, that it was important to be truthful with him. She looked at Roxy, "are we alone?"

"You bet," said Roxy, "no sign of anyone else, civilian or paparazzi slime."

"Good," said Miley as she took her wig off, "it's okay, Aiden. It's me alright."

"Oh gods!" said an astonished Aiden, "I was right! Last night I compared both your pictures, and the similarities were too clear to pass off as a coincidence! You and Hannah Montana are one and the same!"

"Are you crazy!" exclaimed Lola, Mike, Roxy and Jake to Miley.

"It's alright," said Miley, "I just feel that I can trust Aiden, I mean, it's just him, right? Nobody else knows, right?"

"Uh…" said a slightly embarrassed Aiden, "I might have told Sora, Riku and Kairi my theory, but they didn't believe me, not at first that is."

"So now there's more people who know?" Jake asked.

"You know?" Aiden asked.

"She told me," said Jake.

"And who else knows?" Aiden asked. He looked at Lola and Mike, "wait a second…Lilly? Oliver?"

"Uh…yeah," said Lilly as she took off her wig, while Oliver removed his hat and false goatee.

"We're all in it together," said Oliver.

Just then Robbie Ray walked up, "Well, I bailed Jackson out without him getting sued, but that's the last time he's getting VIP seats." He then saw that Miley, Lilly and Oliver were out of their disguises with Aiden seeing them, "what in the Sam Hill is going on here?"

"It's okay, daddy," said Miley, "Aiden's in the know now."

"No he's not!" said Jake, "how can you be sure he can keep his mouth shut?"

"I can so keep my mouth shut!" said Aiden, "you just surprised me, that's all. I know how to keep a secret. And Sora, Riku and Kairi can keep the secret as well."

"Wait just a dang gone minute here!" said an irate Robbie Ray, "how'd he find out?"

"I compared a picture of Hannah to a picture of Miley," said Aiden, "the similarities are too clear to just ignore. I'm surprised nobody else in Miley's life didn't figure it out before me."

"Yeah, people can be a bit dumb," said Lilly, "some dumber than others." She then coughed to cover her saying, "London Tipton."

"I wouldn't tell anyone else," said Aiden, "my friends were there when I made the connection, but they would keep this secret to their graves if you give them the chance, and so would I."

"Well," said a stil unsure Robbie Ray, "if my daughter trusts you…"

"I trust him, daddy," said Miley, "I don't know why, but I trust him."

"Well if Miley trusts Aiden," said Lilly, "then so do I."

"Me to," said Oliver.

"I guess I trust him to," said Jake.

"Then I trust you also," said Robbie Ray, "just remember to keep your mouth shut around the media."

"Believe me, I have no love for those who would exploit someone all for the entertainment for others," said Aiden, "I'm serious, I know how seriously wrong exploitation is."

"Then I guess you're okay," said Robbie Ray, "but I've got one more question before I make any final decisions. Do you like pie?"

"With or without ice cream?" Aiden asked, "'cause I always have ice cream with pie whenever I can."

"Finally!" said Robbie Ray, "someone who truly appreciates pie for what it is!"

"I guess Aiden's okay then," said Oliver, "so, what now?"

"Now we go talk to Sora and Riku," said Miley, "I just feel like I need to tell them about that freakishly evil vibe I got from that Tom Smith guy."

"You picked up an evil vibe from him to?" a shocked Aiden asked, "oh we've got to get you to Sora and the others, pronto!"

"Mind if we get changed first?" Lilly asked, "it'd be really awkward if we all went out looking like our other selves without the full effect."

"This will only take a second," said Miley as she and Lilly headed for the nearest girls room, while Oliver headed for the boys room.

"I'm good," said Jake, referring to his slightly undone suit and tie.

"Just when I thought my life couldn't get any weirder," sighed Aiden.

"Try moving from Tennessee to California," said Robbie Ray, "with a teen pop superstar for a daughter."

"I stand corrected," said Aiden.

* * *

"What's taking Aiden so long?" Riku asked as he, Sora and Kairi waited in the fighters area of the arena.

"Maybe that Rico kid is still bugging him about making more bets," said Kairi.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Sora.

Just then Aiden walked up. With him was Jake, Miley (wearing a blue and white top with blue jeans) Lilly (a green top with orange shorts) and Oliver (wearing a blue hoodie and green shorts.

"Sora, Riku, Kairi," said Aiden, "first of all, say hello to Jake Ryan."

"We saw you at the party," said Riku as he, Sora and Kairi took turns shaking Jake's hands, "the way you stood up to that pervert, Happosai, it was inspiring."

"I just did what any guy who do to protect the one he loves," said Jake.

"I thought you and Miley were together," said Kairi, "or, you were."

"We're trying to get back together," said Miley, "but that's beside the point."

"I was right," said Aiden, "Miley is Hannah Montana."

"No way!" said Sora, Riku and Kairi at the same time.

"It's true," said Miley modestly.

"And we're Hannah's loyal sidekicks," said Lilly, "I'm the ego behind the fashionably awesom Lola Luffnaggle, and Oliver's Mike Stanley."

"The Third," said Oliver.

"And what's Jake's role in all of this?" Riku asked.

"I'm the boyfriend who's had a very complicated relationship with his girlfriend," said Jake.

"Makes sense to me," said Kairi, "so, where does this leave us?"

"Well first of all," said Miley, "you can't tell anyone, ever. I trust Aiden to keep the secret, but I need you guys to promise that you won't tell."

"I'd die a thousand deaths before I tell anyone," said Riku, "now that I know that my friend is my favorite superstar, I'm feeling very loyal to her."

"Same with me," said Sora, "I promise to keep this secret until I die."

"Ditto," said Kairi.

"Okay, that's taken care of," said Miley, "now for the serious part. Back during the last match, I felt this really evil vibe from that Tom Smith guy, like he wasn't even human."

"I felt the same thing from where I was," said Aiden, "did you three feel it?"

"We were more concerned for Akane's well being," said Kairi, "but yeah, I picked up a really evil vibe from Tom Smith."

"That guy has Villain written all over him," said Sora.

"I also don't think he's even human," said Riku, "wait, did you say you sensed it, Miley?"

"It was like nothing I've ever felt before," said Miley in a serious tone, "like…I don't even know how to describe it."

"Like someone was trying to freeze your heart?" Jake asked.

"Exactly!" said Miley, "wait, you sensed it too?"

"Like I could ever forget that," said Jake.

"Okay, this is weird," said Oliver, "I sensed some really freaky vibes from that Tom Smith guy too."

"Now I'm scared!" said a visibly nervous Lilly, "I sensed it too."

"This is getting a little out of hand," said Kairi, "how can you four be sensing anything like those evil vibes?"

"ESP?" Sora suggested.

"Or maybe they have magic after all," said Riku, "but this isn't the place to talk about such things."

"What do you have in mind?" Jake asked.

"Food for sure," said Riku as he looked at a nearby wall clock and saw it was just past noon, "we'll talk over lunch."

"The resturant at my hotel also has a karaoke bar," said Jake.

"Even better," said Riku, "we'll eat and then have fun singing like idiots, or at least Sora will."

"I do not sing like an idiot!" said an irate Sora, "they said I was alright in Atlanticia."

"That's because you were underwater," said Kairi, "in the open air, you are a little tone deaf, Sora."

"Oh and you aren't?" Sora asked in a daring tone.

"Karaoke sounds great now," said Miley.

"Just be careful when Lilly takes the microphone," said Oliver, "she's lethal."

"Ahem!" said an irate Lilly.

"Oh," said Oliver, as if remembering that she was there all along, "have I told you how much love you today, Lilly-pop?"

"Not yet," said Lilly, "who don't you tell me."

"This much," said Oliver. He swept Lilly into his arms and kissed her deeply, and she kissed back with equal passion.

"Okay," said a breathless Lilly once she and Oliver came up for air, "that's a lot."

"So, we cool, Lilly-pop?" Oliver asked.

"Cool like a cucumber, Ollie-pop," said Lilly.

"Oh yuck!" said Miley, Jake, Sora and Kairi.

"It's scenes like this that make me glad I'm single," said Aiden to Riku, whom then nodded in agreement.

Just then Miley blinked in surprise as she remembered something important, "I almost forgot! Just now two of the Heartstone people talked to me, they said that that little old pervert was on the lose!"

"Happosai's on the lose!" said Sora, Riku, Kairi and Jake.

"That midget pervert who made Ranma so miserable?" Aiden asked, "I thought he got caught during the party for the top 32."

"He did," said Sora, "but now that he's out…"

"We'd better find Ranma and the others," said Riku, "no telling who that old man's gonna go after first."

"I don't think Happosai's going to take his revenge out on Ranma or anyone else just yet," said a slightly nervous Jake.

"Why's that?" Miley asked.

"'Cause I'm looking at him right now!" said Jake as he pointed to something behind Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "and he's looking at me like he want's to kill me!"

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden turned around and sure enough, there ten yards back, was a very pissed off Happosai.

"Burn in Hell, Jake Ryan!" shouted Happosai as he pulled out one of his oversized cherry bombs and lit it with his pipe, "Die!" he threw the bomb at Jake.

Riku hastily threw up his Dark Shield and deflected the bomb blast From Jake and the others. The bomb exploded harmlessly in the air.

"I think he's still mad about you putting him in that jar," said Lilly to Jake.

"Is it that obvious?" an irate Jake asked.

"I'll kill you, you little punk!" snapped Happosai, "I'll get you for what you did to me!"

Just then four very familiar figures, to Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden that is, appeared.

"There you are, you little old bastard!" shouted Reddik as he, Rakel, Erika and Konrad, entered the arena and saw Happosai, "no more running away for you!"

"You're going back with us to Maleficent whether you like it or not!" said Rakel.

"Like hell I am!" snapped Happosai as he lit another cherry bomb, "Happo Fire Burst!" he threw the bomb at the four Hakonians and jumped away. Konrad raised a shield that blocked the blast.

"Just how many bombs does that perverted peasant have?" Konrad asked.

"Too many for my tastes," said Erika, "get him!" She, Rakel, Konrad and Reddik ran in the direction Happosai jumped, but then they stopped in stunned surprise.

They turned around to see the equally stunned and surprised Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden.

"The Keyblade Brats!" snapped Reddik.

"Hakonians!" shouted Sora.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" shouted the four Heroes and four Villains at the same time.

"Friends of yours?" Oliver asked.

"In a slug's eye they are!" said Riku.

"Well, isn't this interesting," said Reddik, "here we are, sent by Maleficent to bring back to her a little old pervert, and we run into you four, the bane of our existences."

"Nice to know that you're appreciated," said Aiden to Reddik as he eyed the green, yellow and purple splotches adorning the Hakonian's skin, "you look like hell, man."

"No thanks to your friend!" snapped Reddik, "that infidel who shot me! I suffered more pain than you with your pathetic human mind could possibly imagine!"

"And I suffered with him!" snapped Rakel, "I chased after you brats through time and space, and just when I finally caught up with you, you ruined things for me! Maleficent punished me by making me count every Heartless in the castle!"

"And I had to clean the castle from top to bottom!" said Konrad, "it'll take weeks to get the smell of cleaner fluid out of my hands!"

"And I had to carry an enchanted weight on my back!" said Erika, "all because of you brats!"

"I'm guessing you had to learn the lesson of carrying your own weight," said Riku, "and now know the value of teamwork."

"Only when necessary," said Erika, "I'm a lone wolf though and through. But I won't make the same mistake Ulrik made," she then looked at Aiden, "just who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Aiden Mackenzie, The Keyblade Alchemist."

"Erika Bloodstorm," said the female Hakonian, "nice to meet you. Now I get to kill you."

"No!" snapped Reddik, "he's mine! And after I kill him, I'm going back to The State to kill his friends!"

"You leave Kaylee and Travis alone!" shouted Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade, while Sora, Riku and Kairi summoned their Keyblade as well.

"Sweet Niblets!" said a surprised Miley.

"What are those crazy swords?" Lilly asked.

"They kinda look like keys," said Oliver.

"Is it that obvious?" Jake asked again.

"The alchemist is all yours, dear," said Rakel as she pulled out a pair of cursed switchblades, "so long as I get Riku.

"I was going to claim Riku," said Konrad as he drew his rapier, "but, I suppose I'll have to settle for Kairi."

"Which leaves Sora for me," said Erika as she assumed a fighting stance, her hands glowing with dark magic, "I'll crush the life out of him!"

"You're about to find that we're a lot stronger than we were the last time we met," said Riku.

"We'll see about that!" said Rakel.

_:We can't let them get to Miley and the others,: _said Sora to Kairi.

_:I know,: _said Kairi. She then spoke out loud, "Miley, you, Lilly, Oliver and Jake go find cover, this could get ugly."

"I can't leave you guys alone at a time like this!" said Miley.

"Well there's not much you can do to help us," said Riku.

"He's right, Miley," said Jake, "I know you want to be there for your friends, but we'd all just be in the way."

"And I seriously don't want to die right now," said Oliver.

"Me neither," said Lilly.

"This is what we do, Miley," said Kairi, "we're Keyblade Wielders. We roam the vastness of existence and fight evil wherever we find it."

"We'll be alright," said Aiden, "Trust me."

"I trust you," said Miley.

"Hold on!" said Rakel, "who said you four human younglings could leave? I certainly didn't give you permission."

"Neither did I," said Reddik, "I think that once we've destroyed our enemies, we'll have some fun."

"You hurt them and I'll make you regret it!" said Sora.

"How can you regret anything if you're dead?" Erika asked.

"Uh…hello!" said Happosai, "me?"

"Oh shut up, old man!" snapped Rakel. She then glared at Happosai with her Evil Eye, cursing him with unimaginable agony. The perverted martial artist collapsed to the floor as the wracking pain paralyzed him.

"Hey, you got him!" said a surprised Erika.

"I guess I did," said an astonished Rakel.

"Looks like we're finally back in Maleficent's good graces after all," said Konrad.

"But what about the brats?" Reddik asked, "should we fight?"

"If we fight," said Rakel as she released The Evil Eye and used a containment spell to trap Happosai in a large crystal, "there's the chance the old man could get away. If what we heard about Happosia is true, he's gotten out of more sticky situations than I'd like to count. We leave now."

"What?" Sora asked, "why does Maleficent want Happosai?"

"That's none of your business!" said Reddik as he used a hover spell to lift the large crystal, "and don't think this is over."

"We will meet again, Keyblade Wielders!" said Konrad as he summoned a Dark Corridor, "when conditions are fully in our favor."

"Until then," said Erika as she shoved the containment crystal into the Dark Corridor, "here's a little something to keep you occupied!" she then summoned two dozen Nova Shadows, "I'd bring more, but the sealed Keyhole of this world prevents it. So, you'll just have to have fun with these. Laters!" with that she, Rakel, Konrad and Reddik went into the portal.

"What the heck are these things?" exclaimed Oliver as he, Lilly, Miley and Jake found themselves surrounded by the Nova Shadows.

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden attacked the Nova Shadows, each fighting one, but there were still twenty left that were still closing in on Miley and the others.

Just then Adam came out of nowhere and delivered several flying kicks to a Nova Shadow, destroying it.

"You freaking bastards!" snapped Felicia as she attacked a Nova Shadow with her sticks, bashing it in the head and destroying it.

Ian threw one Nova Shadow into the wall, destroying it, while Kyle tackled and snapped the neck of another. Julia destroyed one with her Cobra Punch, while Jean-Louise kicked another in the head.

Shampoo then rushed up and destroyed one by bashing it in the head with her clubs. Mousse then grabbed one with a concealed hook & chain and slammed it to the ground.

Ukyo smashed one with her giant spatula, while Ryoga merely touched one where its heart should be, "Baksuai Tekensu!"

**Baksuai Tekensu=breaking point technique.**

The Nova Shadow then shattered and vanished into black smoke.

Kodatchi then ensnared one Nova Shadow with her ribbon and crushed it, while Tatewaki delivered enough sword strikes to destroy one himself.

Ranma then punched, kicked and destroyed the rest of the Nova Shadows, "so those are Heartless," he said in a matter of fact tone.

"Those were only one type of Heartless," said Sora, "remember, there's dozens of other types."

"And they only get stronger," said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi and Aiden vanished their Keyblades, "the only way to beat them is to be stronger than them."

"Easier said than done," said Ukyo as she examined the Heartless-shaped dent in her spatula.

Miley then cautiously walked up to Kairi, "is this what you guys do all the time? For real?"

"Pretty much," said Kairi, "we also go to other worlds."

"Other worlds?" Lilly asked.

"It's a long story," said Sora, "Oh, Ranma, that old pervert Happosai was here just now."

"Happosai's on the lose!" exclaimed Ukyo.

"Oh crap!" said a terrified Ryoga, "we're doomed!"

"No you're not," said Riku, "he's gone again, hopefully for good, or maybe not, if he's going where I think he's going."

"What are you talking about?" Ranma asked.

"We'll tell it over lunch and karaoke," said Riku.

"My hotel has a very nice karaoke room," said Jake, "and with my connections, we'll have an all-you-can-eat buffet."

"Oh, free lunch and karaoke," said a smiling Ryoga, "this isn't such a bad day after all."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"Oh mistress of all evil!" said Reddik as he, Rakel, Erika and Konrad, bowed before Maleficent, "we have successfully captured the human you requested."

"Have you now?" Maleficent asked as she rose from her dark throne

"Happosai of the Anything Goes style," said Rakel as she hovered the containment crystal forward.

"It took a lot of effort on our part," said Konrad.

"And we ended up pissing off some of the local humans," said Erika, "but we got him."

"Were there any other difficulties?" Maleficent asked as she walked around the containment crystal, examining the living cargo inside.

"There was one snag," said Reddik, "we encountered The Keyblade Wielders."

"What?" exclaimed Maleficent as she glared at the four Hakonains.

"It was their world after all," said Rakel hastily, "we would have destroyed them, oh great and terrible Maleficent, but what with that world's Keyhole sealed, we could not bring in sufficient Heartless support. There was no guarantee of victory."

"And yet you didn't even try to destroy them," said Maleficent.

"But we brought the human you wanted!" said Erika, "and I helped out, a lot!"

"She did," said Konrad.

Maleficent glared at the Hakonians again before speaking, "yes, that was the assignment you were given. Very well, you shall have your rewards. You are released from your punishments."

An extraordinary powerful wave of relief washed over Rakel, Reddik, Erika and Konrad as Maleficent's dark magic left their bodies.

"But you have not fully redeemed yourselves quite yet!" said Maleficent, "no, not by far you haven't."

"But why?" Rakel asked.

"It can't be because of our encounter just now with the Keyblade brats," said Konrad, "can it?"

"That is part of it," said Maleficent, "and for other reasons, of which you will soon discover."

Just then Nikolai walked into the throne room, "oh great and terrible Maleficent," said the warlock Hakonian, "I have successfully plunged yet another world into the darkness. I await your bidding to leave for the next world."

"Brown nosing bastard," muttered Reddik.

"Well done, Nikolai," said Maleficent, "but now I have a different task for you," she pointed at the containment crystal, in which Happosai was beginning to stir, "this human is valuable to the cause, but he has an unfortunate habit of being able to escape dire situations. You are to construct a series of containment enchantments that will prevent this human from escaping. No matter what he does or say, nothing is to allow him to leave his cell unless I wish it."

"A worthy task from a worthy mistress," said Nikolai, "I shall accomplish his task with the same ease and pride I display in all other assignments," he then levitated the containment crystal and sent it to the castle dungeons. On his way out of the room, he nodded politely to his fellow Hakonians, "Reddik, Rakel, Konrad, Erika."

"Brown noser," muttered Erika as Nikolai left the room.

"You should learn from his example," said Maleficent, "it may do you well."

"Whatever," said Erika, "now what's this about how we screwed up this time?"

"That you shall learn in due course," said Maleficent. She then summoned an image of Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden as the, Ranma, Miley and the others sat in a restaurant and talked about The Heartless over lunch.

"Why are we watching this?" Reddik asked.

"You shall see soon enough," said Maleficent, "observe closely, especially the reaction of The Keyblade Alchemist, for my sources have informed me that before the hour is up, the third Princess of Heart shall be revealed."

"No way!" said the four Hakonians.

"Which one is it?" Konrad asked.

"I didn't have a chance to sense which girl had the purest heart," said Rakel.

"I guess we'll learn who it is," said Reddik.

* * *

"I think they've handled the whole Heartless thing rather well," said Kairi.

"Miley and the others are a lot stronger than even they realize," said Riku.

After arriving at Jake's hotel, Sora and the others explained to Miley, Jake, Oliver and Lilly everything, starting with the original Heartless attack on Destiny Island, Sora's journey across the worlds in search of Riku and Kairi, battling The Heartless and the Villains, defeating the false Ansem who was really the Heartless of Xehanort, sealing the door to Kingdom Hearts, the events in Castle Oblivion, Roxas's exploits while with Organization XIII, Sora waking up after a year to fight The Heartless and Organization XIII, the defeat of Xemnes, and everything else that had happened up to that point.

"So you really are from another world," said Jake to Aiden.

"It appears so," said Aiden, "the powers that be gave me a task, and despite what my friends say," he eyed Sora, Riku and Kairi, "I can't go home until that task is complete."

"Wow, that's rough," said Miley, "you lost your parents and your home town all in the same day."

"And you can't go home and see your friends again?" Oliver asked.

Aiden sighed, "I miss my family, a lot, and I really miss my friends. But I know they're alright. Right now they're doing what they want to do, becoming State Alchemists so they can protect our world from The Heartless and other threats," he laughed, "it's really funny because my friend Travis, he hated State Alchemists with a vengeance, until Sora and the others popped into our lives."

"We have some sort of effect on people," said Kairi.

"Everywhere we go," said Sora, "we end up meddling with things, sometimes for bad, but mostly for the good."

"We're living proof!" said Felicia as she and Mousse hugged, while Adam and Shampoo held hands. Ukyo and Ian were sitting together, while Jean-Louise and Ryoga were also next to each other. Tatewaki and Julia were talking, while Kodatchi and Kyle were nervously looking at each other with embarrassed eyes.

"You four certainly do have that kind of effect on people," said Ranma.

"Well I don't feel any different," said Oliver.

"Neither do I," said Jake.

"The only thing that's changed in me is that I feel I can trust you guys absolutely," said Miley.

"Talking ponies?" a slightly dumbfounded Lilly asked, "you went to a world full of talking ponies?"

"And a world full of ninjas," said Riku.

"And a world full of pirates," said Sora.

"And a world full of fairies," said Kairi.

"And let's not forget that other Earth we just went to," said Aiden, "were we sort of went back in time."

"That makes sense, I guess," said Jake, "different universes have different flows of time."

"Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey," said Kairi.

"Talking ponies," said Lilly again.

"You had to see them to believe it," said Kairi.

"So, we're all okay on the whole 'other worlds, living darkness creatures and super-evil villains who want to destroy life as we know it' thing?" Sora asked.

"I guess so," said Oliver, while Lilly, Miley and Jake nodded in agreement.

"You're taking this pretty well," said Riku, "most people would think we were crazy or something."

"I think that you have to be a bit crazy if you want to live in this world," said Jake.

"All too true, my friend," said Aiden, "all too true."

"Okay," said Kairi, "we're past the hard part. Now let's enjoy ourselves!"

She indicated the karaoke stage at the far end of the room.

"Me first!" said a very excited Lilly as she bounded towards the stage.

"Oh man," said a very uncomfortable Miley.

"You might want to cover your ears," said Oliver to Sora and the others.

Lilly then began with her rendition of 'Like a Prayer.' She got all the words right, but the way she sang was indescribably painful.

"Like nails on a chalkboard!" said Riku.

"And a thousand screeching bats!" said Sora.

Thankfully, Lilly finished. She smiled widely at the hesitant applause from everyone, whom were grateful to the powers that be that it was over.

"So," said Lilly in an expectant tone, "how was I?"

"I'm at a loss for words," said Aiden.

"It's not something I'll ever forget," said Kairi.

Ian went next. He was much more on key and more harmonic as he sang 'Thank god I'm a Country Boy.'

Ukyo went next and sang 'Poker Face,' then Kyle sang 'Where The Streets Have No Name,' which he would say was his favorite U2 song.

Felicia then sang 'Neon Knights,' then Oliver went up and sang 'Rappers Delight.'

"Okay," said Oliver once he was finished, "who's next?"

"Ranma next!" Shampoo insisted.

"I…no," said Ranma in an embarrassed tone, "I really don't sing."

"Oh come on, Ranma," said Ukyo, "you'll be great."

"I don't know…" said a hesitant Ranma.

"Of course you know," said Miley, "if…Hannah Montana could get up on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans night after night, then you can do one karaoke song in front of your friends."

"Well," said a slightly encouraged Ranma.

"If you're still nervous," said Adam, "then perhaps you need the right song to get you motivated," he whispered something into Ranma's ear, "just think about all the times Akane abused you, just get it out of your heart, and then the words will flow with the music."

"Yeah," said Ranma as he smiled, "I can do that." He got on stage and sang 'Sick of You,' and did a very good job of it.

"I feel better," said Ranma, "putting Akane to those insulting lyrics just made me feel better."

"When used properly," said Adam, "Gwar can make anyone feel good."

"I didn't know you liked shock rock," said Kyle to Adam.

"I like all music," said Adam, "but I especially like heavy metal, now if you'll excuse me, it's my turn." He than sang two of his favorite Black Sabbath songs, 'Children of the Sea' and 'Heaven and Hell.'

"That's my favorite Black Sabbath album," said Felicia, "when they got Ronnie James Dio to sing vocals, it just worked."

"Exactly," said Adam, "with all due respect to Ozzy Osbourne, The Prince of Darkness, that particular album was the best that band ever made, end of discussion."

"Well, Black Sabbath is okay," said Jake, "and so is Ozzy Osbourne, but I know someone who's even bigger in the music industry," he looked at Miley and gave her a knowing wink.

"Speaking of which," said Miley, "It's my turn."

"Which of 'Hannah's' songs are you gonna sing?" Oliver asked.

"I think I'll do something different," said Miley, "I feel like expanding my horizons tonight." She got up on the stage and sang 'Runaround,' by Van Halen.

Everyone was stunned at her rendition of that song, especially Adam, Felicia, Kyle, Julia, Ian, Jean-Louise, Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, Tatewaki and Kodatchi. When Miley was finished everyone stood up and clapped wildly.

"Wow!" said Ian, "Miley's good, I mean she's very good!"

"Amazing!" said Ukyo.

"Fantastic!" said Ryoga.

"Like an angel descending from the heavens to speak of the divine," said Tatewaki.

"So," said Miley to her friends, "how was I?"

"Awesome, as usual," said Jake.

"That was really great, Miley," said Oliver, "wait, I just had this wild idea." he then whispered, "what do you think about doing a Van Halen cover album as 'you know who?'"

"You mean Hannah singing Van Halen songs?" Miley asked in a contemplative tone, "that might just work out. Yeah, yeah that could work out. I'll have to talk to my dad about it, and of course there's the whole copyright mess to sort through, but it might just work. And if I'm gonna be doing a Van Halen cover, then I'd better get to work." She then went back on stage and sang another Van Halen song, 'Top of the World.'

* * *

"Just how much longer are we going to have to watch these stupid humans make fools of themselves?" Erika asked as she, Reddik, Konrad and Rakel observed the karaoke party.

"Patience," insisted Maleficent, "all will be revealed soon enough."

"I I never liked karaoke," said Reddik, "if you haven't any musical talent, why bother?"

"The humans seem to like making total fools of themselves," said Rakel.

"That one seems to be talented," said Konrad, indicating Miley, "very talented."

"Wait," said Reddik. He looked at Maleficent, "is she…?"

* * *

"I can't believe how good a singer Miley is," said Ranma as Miley finished singing 'Panama,' then began 'Dreams.'"

"I know," said Kairi.

Just then Ranma blinked in surprise, then shook his head as if denying something, "no, no it can't be."

"Can't be what?" a slightly worried Riku asked.

"It's stupid," said Ranma, "stupid and impossible."

"What's stupid and impossible?" a slightly nervous Kairi asked.

"I just had this really dumb idea that Miley is Hannah Montana," said Ranma, "it's crazy, right? I mean, Hannah is Hannah, and Miley is, well, Miley."

"Yeah, crazy," said Sora in slightly unsure tone.

Just as Miley was finishing up the song, something really strange happened. For an instant, her entire body glowed with bright magic, a magic that centered and shone a pure white from her heart. The glowing lasted for about a blink of an eye, and only a handful of people would have noticed it. Not even Miley, who was so deep into her singing, realized what had happened.

But four people, who deal with magic on a regular basis, saw it.

"Did you see…?" a shocked Kairi asked.

"I saw it," said a stunned Riku.

"That light coming from Miley's heart," said Sora, "was that…?"

"It was…" said a shocked and awed Aiden.

Miley then finished the song and everyone clapped loudly. Sora and the others quickly got over their shock and clapped with everyone else.

Sora then noticed Felicia whispering to Adam, Shampoo and Mousse. She then got up and left the room.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

"Ever have the feeling that you were being watched?" Mousse asked, "well, Felicia just had that feeling."

"Somebody's watching us?" Kairi asked.

A few seconds later everyone heard a girl squeeling in fright and pain. Felicia came in with a girl, about 18, with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a green and blue shirt, a brown jacket and blue jeans. The girl was grimicing in pain as Felicia held her arms behind her back.

"Well look what I caught here, everyone!" Felicia shouted triumphantly, "a freaking spy!"

"Nabiki!" Ranma shouted.

"Nabiki Tendo!" exclaimed an irate Tatewaki, "what are thou doing in this place of good clean entertainment!"

Sora and the others realized that this was Nabiki, Akane's elder sister, and a greedy, blackmailer with a superiority complex. Sora remembered hearing that Nabiki would periodically swindle and extort those around her back in Tokyo for money, free merchandise and foods. She would also take blackmail pictures of Ranma when he was a she, then sell those photos to the highest bidder, who usually was Tatewaki.

"I'm being tortured by this _gaijin _maniac!" snapped Nabiki, "that's what I'm doing here! So will someone tell this Yankee bimbo to stop pulling my arms out?"

"I'm not pulling your arms out," said Felicia, "this is a standard restraining technique. This," she grinned as she applied more pressure to Nabiki's left arm, causing her to cry out in agony, "this is pulling your arm out!"

"Let her go, Felicia," said Ranma.

"Whatever you say," remarked Felicia as she released Nabiki, who gasped in relief.

"I knew you cared about me, Ranma!" said Nabiki in a tone that dripped with fake attraction, "I heard that you broke up with Akane, and with Kasumi dating Dr. Tofu back home, you'll be wanting to marry me!"

"Don't even start with that crap," said an irate Ranma, "I just didn't want to make a mess. I'm guessing that if Felicia had the chance, she would pull your arms out."

"And it would be a wonderful mess," said a grinning Felicia.

"You still hath not answered mine question, Nabiki Tendo," said Tatewaki, "what are thou doing here?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said Ukyo, while Shampoo, Mousse, Kodatchi and Ryoga nodded in agreement.

"Isn't it obvious, Kuno-baby?" Nabiki asked in a seductive manner as she winked at him, "I came to see you."

"Your conniving lies only remind me as to how much I despise thee," said a still irate Tatewaki.

"I know why she's here," said Ranma, "she's here to try to make the most money she can on the result of the torunament. She's notorious for setting up money-making schemes back home."

"Is that all you think of me?" she asked.

"Damn right," said Ranma, "so what is it this time? You trying to rig the tournament or something? Or are you setting up other gamblers to be in your debt?"

"I think I can figure out what she's up to," said Julia, "I just need to check her pockets." Before anyone could say anything else, she began frisking Nabiki.

"What are you doing?" an outraged Nabiki asked, "get your hands off of me!"

"Not until I find what I think is there," said Julia. She then found something in Nabiki's jacket pocket, "aha! Just as I thought!"

She pulled out a small but sophisticated camera, "this little number is the latest in digital photography, capable of taking clear and precise photos from up to half a mile away," she checked the other jacket pocket and pulled out a small recording device, "and this bugger can record conversations with perfect clarity."

"You _have _been spying on us!" snapped Jake, "I should have known! You're just another paparazzi scumbag!"

"It wouldn't surprise me," said Ryoga.

"I'm not working for the paparazzi," said Nabiki, "those are for taking pictures of the fights and for recording the dialog of the comentators."

"Bull crap!" said Ian, "I'll bet you were gathering information on the fighters in the finals all this time, just so you can bet on who you thought would most likely win. Well, how much dirty money did you make on our failures?"

"I have no idea what you're taling about!" said a now outraged Nabiki. She glared at Ranma, "when my daddy hears about this…"

"I'm not afraid of your old man, Nabiki," said Ranma, "and I'm certainly not afraid of my old man. I don't have to do anything they want ever again, and that includes marrying Akane, or even you for that manner. My mom broke off the engagement, which means your source of cash has just dried up."

"Would you look at that," said Jean-Louise as she looked at the digital files on the camera, "_elle a espionné sur nous_! She _has _been spying on us!"

"She's been taking pictures of us since it was announced to the world that we were in the top 32!" said an outraged Kyle, "that little banshee! I'll shove a pipe bomb up her arse!"

"I don't think that's necessary," said Adam as he walked over to Nabiki, "I think that things can be settled without bloodshed," he took the camera from Jean-Louise, then broke it in half. He then smashed the memory card and the camera computer.

"Hey!" snapped Nabiki, "that cost me good money!"

"With you," said Ranma as he took the audio recording device, "there's no such thing as good money, and what's on this?"

He played the recorder, which had various digitally recorded conversations between all the fighters in the top 32, minus Tom Smith, at various moments from before the party for the fighters, right up to just now.

The audio clips had been edited and organized so that each figher's conversations were grouped together. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden soon heard their voices

Riku: I don't mean to be rude, Kairi, but your friend Miley, she's a bit unusual.

Kairi: She is a bit strange, but that's part of what I like about her.

Sora: She is strange, and who says things like Sweet Nibblets?

"I'm not that weird," said Miley to Sora, but he wasn't hearing her. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden had just realized, to their horror, that Nabiki had taped the moment when Aiden realized that Miley was Hannah.

Before things got out of hand, Kairi grabbed the recorder and smashed it against the ground, "I think we've heard enough of Nabiki's diabolical scheming."

"That cost me hundreds of American dollars!" snapped Nabiki.

"You should have spent it on something better," said Ranma, "something other than for yourself."

"What should we do with this spy?" Felicia asked, "in times of war, and there are wars going on by the way, they execute spies that are caught."

"Hangin's too good for her," said Ian, "I say we tie her down next to a nest of fire ants and paint her with honey."

"Dump her in a pool of ravenous piranhas!" said Julia.

"Throw her feet first into a throttling woodchopper!" said Kyle.

"Or we could just cut her head off and burry her somewhere," said Adam, "because it goes without saying that we can't turn her lose. She'd take whatever ill-gotten knowledge she has in her head and sell it to the highest bidder without hesitation." He then realized that everyone was looking at him as if he was crazy or something. "What? Just because i follow the Shaolin path doesn't mean i can't get angry at all, or shun all forms of revenge all the time. LIke Hannah Montana once said, 'Nobody's Perfect.'"

"True enough," said Kyle, "I say we go with his plan."

"Sounds good to me," said Jean-Lousie.

"You wouldn't!" said a horrified Nabiki.

"No, we're just messing with you," said a laughing Adam, "even those who follow the Shaolin path like to have fun every now and then," he then grew serious, "but that doesn't mean we can't just let you go with the knowledge you have in your head."

"Especially with potentail knoledge that can ruin someone's life," said Kairi. She then gave Miley a knowing look, and Miley got the message.

Lilly, Oliver and Jake looked at Miley in a questioning manner, and she gave them a knowing look, and then they got the message.

"Shampoo know what to do," said the purple-haired Amazon as she cracked her knuckles.

"Oh no, you're not going to do _that _to me!" said Nabiki as she realized what Shampoo was talking about.

"Yes, Shampoo is!" shouted the purple-haired Amazon. Before Nabiki could react, Shampoo rushed over and touched her head so fast that the purple-haired Amazon's hands were like blurs. Withins econds Nabiki's eyes were completely dilated.

"The shiatsu technique," said Ranma, "she's making Nabiki forget.

Shampoo then finished erasing Nabiki's memory. Nabiki blinked a few times and looked around, "what the…what…where…" she saw Ranma, "what's gong on, Ranma? One minute I'm in the hotel, getting ready to spy on the party for the top 32 fighters, then…just what the heck is going on here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Ranma, "go talk to my mom, she'll fill you in on everything."

"Uh…yeah," said Nabiki, "I'll go talk to your mom," she walked out of the room, still dazed and confused.

"Sweet nibblets!" said Miley, "that was awesome!"

"Shampoo know what she is doing," said the purple-haired Amazon.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about her for a while," said Ryoga, "that shiatsu technique won't last forever."

"Akane had the whammy put on her," said Ranma, "and it wore off, unfortunately. Personally, I think it would have been better if she had never met me."

"Thank you, no," said Tatewaki, "then I would still be fixated on the uncute tomboy."

"You guys are really strange," said Miley. Just then her cell rang, "It's my dad," she said as she saw the caller ID, "I got to take this."

She went over to one corner of the room and accepted the call, "Yeah, daddy…yeah…I know I shouldn't have left like that…I know…I'm with Lilly, Oliver, Jake and a lot of friends right now…" an annoyed expression dawned on her face, "yes I said I'm with Jake. Look, I can't talk about this on the phone, daddy, I…" her expression changed to that of shock and denial, "are you serious…?"

"This doesn't sound good," said Kairi.

"We'll be home right away, daddy," said Miley. She then ended the call, "sorry, guys, but I got to go, now."

"Is everything alright?" Ukyo asked.

"Nothing to get worried about," said Miley, "just a family thing."

"I'm far from one to want to keep you from your family," said Adam.

"Thanks for understanding," said Miley, "it was really great hanging out with you all, we'll have to do it again sometime."

"Definitely," said Felicia, "you know, you're one seriously talented girl. Why aren't you on stage along with Hannah?"

"It's complicated," said Miley in an unsure tone.

"We'd better go," said Jake, as if he sensed what was troubling Miley.

"Yeah," said Lilly, "don't want to keep her dad waiting."

"Seriously, we don't," said Oliver.

Everyone made their goodbyes, and Miley and her friends left.

"There goes one extraordinary human being," said Kodatchi.

"One of creation's original constructs," said Tatewaki, "some weird fluke of divine inspiration never considered for mass production. Too weird to live, yet too rare to die."

"We'd better go as well," said Riku as he and the others all thought of what they saw from Miley on their minds, "no doubt Nodoka Sensei wants us to get some more training in for tomorrow."

"I'd better get going as well," said Ranma, "tomorrow's the big day, semifinals and finals all in one."

"We'll be fighting tomorrow," said Sora, "you and me."

"And I'll have to take down that Tom Smith creep," said Riku.

"Good luck, all of you," said Ukyo.

"_Faire tout le possible," _said Jean-Louise to Sora and Ranma, "do your best."

"And kick that flaming bastard Tom Smith's ass!" said Kyle to Riku.

"Consider it done," said Riku.

* * *

"So," said Erika, "that girl is the one."

"And she was right there when we caught up with Happosai!" said an irate Konrad, "we should have grabbed that filthy little girl when we had the chance!"

"We didn't know," said Rakel, "how could we have known at the time?"

"But we know now," said Reddik, "we'll go back and take her."

"No," said Maleficent.

"What do you mean no?" Rakel asked, "if this girl, this Miley Stewart is one of the seven, then why not take her?"

"Because her power just awoke tonight," said Maleficent, "as we speak the seven new Princesses of Heart are only beginning to realize their powers," she summoned an image of Sara Lancaster and Usagi Tuskino, "these two have some idea of what they can do, but the third one," she summoned an image of Miley next to the first two, "she has no idea of her true self."

"Then we should take her now!" said Erika, "now before she become dangerous!"

"And we should go and get the other two while we're out," said Rakel, while Konrad and Reddik nodded in agreement

"Imbeciles!" exclaimed Maleficent, "they would be useless to us at their current level of power. The door to Kingdom Hearts will open only when all seven Princesses of Heart are at their peak."

She sighed, "and then there is the fact that the remaining four are still unknown. It is my design to wait until the identities of all seven are discovered, and then, once all seven have matured in their powers, we will strike and take them all at once. Is that understood? Or do I have to make myself clearer?"

"We understand perfectly, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said Reddik as he, Rakel, Erika and Konrad bowed.

"Then there is nothing else to say," said Maleficent, "except to explain how you are to complete your redemption."

"I though we were finished with our punishments," said Erika.

"Not just yet," said Maleficent, "there is one last task I wish for you to complete, one last chore that will sure advance the cause of the darkness. Then and only then will you be forgiven for your failues."

"What is this task, great one?" Reddik asked.

"Listen and listen well," said Maleficent, "for this task shall grant me the power that I have sought for some time; the power to rule The Nobodies!"

* * *

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden waited until they were back at their hotel and safely in Sora's room before they talked.

"Miley's a Princess of Heart," said Kairi, "isn't she?"

"As if that light from her heart wasn't proof enough," said Riku, "proof that she has a very, very, very pure heart."

"She's definitely a Princess of Heart," said Aiden, "when I saw that light from her heart, another part of my vision cleared up. I remember now the third stain glass platform I was on; I saw Miley, standing on some sort of stage. Her eyes were closed and she was singing, a look of joy on her face.

"There was more. Around her at the four compass points were those close to her. At the North position was Jake, to the South was her brother Jackson, to the East was Lilly, and to the West was Oliver. They had different colored auras about them; Jake was red, Lilly was yellow, Jackson was green and Oliver was blue.

"As if that wasn't enough, I saw the others on the image as well. Arranged around the edge of the picture were the faces of Ryoga, Adam and the others, all at different clock positions.

"At 12 was Adam, at 1 was Ukyo, at 2 was Kyle, at 3 was Felicia, at 4 was Tatewaki, at 5 was Jean Louise, at 6 was Shampoo, at 7 was Ian, at 8 was Kodatchi, at 9 was Mouse, at 10 was Julia and at 11 was Ryoga."

"What does it all mean?" Sora asked, "I know that, with Miley in the middle, she's the Princess, but why are the others around her in the picture?"

"And did you see Ranma in the picture as well?" Riku asked.

Aiden thought about it for a minute, "no, I didn't see Ranma at all, just the others."

"I think I may have an idea about this," said Kairi, "Miley is the Princess, we've determined this already. Jake, Lilly, Oliver, and Miley's brother Jackson are close to her because they're the ones she loves, with Jake being at the top and her two BFFL's at the sides."

"And Jackson at the bottom because they haven't always gotten along," said Aiden.

"Exactly," said Kairi, "as for Adam, Ryoga and the others, my guess is that they are supposed to be Miley's protectors, or something like that."

"We can only wait and see how things play out," said Riku, "'cause there's no way we were the only ones who sensed that power coming from Miley."

"Have I told you all how much I hate waiting?" Aiden asked.

"Not recently," said Sora.

* * *

"How much longer is your dad going to me mad at me?" Jake asked as he, Miley, Lilly and Oliver rode in Jake's limo back to the Stewart's house in Malibu.

"He was just worried about me," said Miley, "the problem is the stalker."

"Now what?" Lilly asked.

"He firebombed two more tabloid offices tonight," said Miley in a grave tone, "and two more paparazzi photographers were stabbed. One's in the intensive care unit, and the other…he…he didn't make it."

"Oh," said Oliver in a deflated tone, while Lilly was speechless with shock.

"This is getting serious," said Jake as the limo arrived at the house and everyone got out, "this maniac, he's killed someone."

"This was serious the second that whack-job threatened my little girl," said Robbie Ray, who was waiting on the front porch for them. "Miley, I called the airport, we're on the next flight to Guam, so get packing."

"What? No!" said an irate Miley, "I'm not running away from this, daddy, and neither is Hannah."

"The dang flabbit maniac just killed someone!" said Robbie Ray, "and he's gonna try and kidnap you tomorrow night!"

"Oh," said Miley as she remembered that tomorrow would also bring the award ceremony for the tournament, in which the stalker would try to take her, as Hannah, in front of the whole world.

"I'm with your father on this one," said Jake, "and I hear that Guam is nice this time of year."

"I'm not going to Guam," said Miley in an insisting tone, "how do we know the maniac won't follow me there?"

"He doesn't know you're Hannah," said Robbie Ray.

"But if Hannah were to disappear," said Miley, "who knows what the lunatic will do?"

"He's blown up three tabloid magazines already and tried to kill three sleazebag photographers," said Oliver, "one of them is dead. If Hannah were to drop off the map, the nut job could blow up the entire city and the beach for all we know."

"Blow up the city and the beach?" a worried Jackson asked as he walked outside, "he can't blow up the city! That's where all my friends are! And all my favorite hangouts! And what about me?"

"You'll be on the plain to Guam," said Miley, "if we were going," she looked at her father, "which we're not!"

"Give me one good reason why we should stay and risk your life," said a very serious Robbie Ray.

"Because…" said a hesitant Miley, "well…I've got a very good reason, but…it's kinda hard to explain."

"Try," said Robbie Ray.

"Well," said Miley, "call me crazy, but earlier, when I was with Sora, Kairi, Ranma, Adam and all those other guys, I just felt safe with them, really safe, like they wouldn't let anything happen to me," she then looked at Robbie Ray in a slightly nervous manner, "oh, Sora, Riku and Kairi, they definitely know the secret. I hope that's okay."

"Oh for crying out loud!" said an exasperated Robbie Ray, "why don't you tell everyone why don't you!"

"It's not her fault," said Lilly, "Aiden figured it out and he sort of told his friends yesterday."

"Daddy, I trust them," said Miley, "I know it's crazy for me to trust people I barely know, but I just feel that it's right. Please, trust me on this."

"Well," said a still unsure Robbie Ray, "alright, I trust you, darlin'.'"

"So, we're not going to Guam?" Jackson asked.

"You know, Jackson" said Miley in an annoyed tone, "it'd be a shame to waste those tickets. You go to Guam. We'll call you and tell you how things work out."

"We'll call you and tell you how things turn out!" said Jackson in a mocking tone.

"We'll call you and tell you how things turn out!" said Miley in an equally mocking tone.

"Once again I'm reminded why I'm glad I'm an only child," said Lilly.

"You may have convinced me of staying, Miles," said Robbie Ray, "but we're calling the FBI about this. If we're staying, then they're putting extra protection on you."

"Consider it done, Mr. Stewart," said Special Agent John Baxter as he emerged from the showed.

"Sweet Niblets!" exclaimed Miley as she, Jake, Oliver, Lilly, Jackson and Robbie Ray jumped in surprise.

"Sorry if I scared you and your loved ones, Miley," said John Baxter as he used a PDA to email the Los Angeles FBI office, "anyway, I just told the higher-ups to post extra security for the rest of the tournament. When that maniac makes his move to abduct you tomorrow, we'll be ready to stop him cold."

"That's good, I guess," said Miley, "wait, how did you…"

"We're the FBI," said John Baxter, "we've known you're Hannah Montana for a long time. You can trust us to keep your secret."

"Well that's just great!" said an exasperated Robbie Ray, "who else knows? Why don't we just call everyone in the world and tell them the truth?"

"You know, we can do that," said John Baxter, "it is possible for a computer to dial every cell phone in the world at once and play a recorded message."

"I was being sarcastic!" said Robbie Ray. He then went into the house, "just a hint of a normal life, Lord, that's all I ask for."

"Maybe it would be best if you did go to Guam," said John Baxter to Miley, "if only for your father's sake. We could easily have someone substitute for you."

"Everyone would know the difference in a flash," said Miley, "and besides, the only person in the world who could possibly pose as Hannah is my evil identical cousin Luan, and she'd cheer the maniac on."

"Sorry, Agent Baxter," said Jake, "the substitution plan is a no-go."

"Then we'll just have to rely on the first plan," said John Baxter. He then handed his PDA to Miley, "open the file marked 'Hannah Guardians.' You'll find all the info on the martial artists we've selected to be your protectors inside the tournament. I think you'll be surprised as to who we picked."

Miley opened the file and read the list of names, "oh my gosh!"

"Is that…?" said a surprised Lilly, "and…? And…?"

"It's them alright," said Oliver.

"No wonder you felt so safe tonight," said Jake, "you were just now in the same room with them."

"And they'll all be there tomorrow for the rest of the tournament," said John Baxter, "if they can't stop the maniac, no one can."

* * *

The next day dawned clear and beautiful, yet it was lost on Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden. They spent the rest of the previous afternoon and evening pondering the new development in the situation. Mostly on their mind was the revelation that Miley was a Princess of Heart, and with that the question of whether or not to tell her.

"This is just like when we met Sara Lancaster," said Kairi as they all met for breakfast, "Miley's go so many things to worry about, if we add the fact that she's a Princess of Heart and that there'll be evil people coming after her someday, I don't think she can take it."

"But if we don't tell her," said Sora, "she'll be in even more danger. If we tell her, she'll be able to prepare."

"How can she prepare?" Aiden asked, "all we know is that Miley is a Princess. We have no idea what kind of power she has. Sara is a Stand User and has The Rainbow of Light, and Usagi is both a Sailor Senshi and has the Legendary Silver Crystal. With Miley it's a total mystery."

"Let's try and think about this logically," said Riku, "with Sara, her powers were foretold in a prophecy, and with Usagi, she was reincarnated. Maybe there's something in Miley's past that could tell us something about what sort of power she has."

"All I know about Miley is what she told me," said Kairi, "she moved to California from Tennessee with her father and brother; she has a very large extended family; her grandmother and godmother have had a feuded over a soured relationship with Elvis, she has a horse named Bluejeans…but nothing that could tell us what kind of power she has."

Just then Aiden smacked his head, "we really are idiots!"

"Why's that?" Sora asked.

Aiden then spoke in a hushed tone, "Miley is Hannah, so it's only natural that her power would have something to do with music."

"That makes perfect sense," said Riku, "her power woke up when she was singing, so it has to do with music."

"But exactly what?" Sora asked.

"We'll have to wait to find out," said Kairi as they reached the restaurant and saw that Nodoka was already waiting for them at a table, "I don't think we should tell Sensei this."

"Good idea," said Sora. They then walked over to the table where Nodoka was at.

"So, Sora, Riku," said Nodoka, "I hope you're ready for today."

"Ready as we'll ever be, Nodoka Sensei," said Sora.

"I'm sure you'll be an equal match for my son," said Nodoka, "And I just want to say thank you all. You've helped Ranma in more ways than one."

"It was our pleasure to help, Nodoka Sensei," said Kairi, "I'm glad we helped Ranma get a grip on his life."

"How's Akane doing?" Riku asked, "she ran out of the arena yesterday really upset. It'd be terrible if she did something she'd later regret."

"Actually," said Nodoka, "I haven't heard anything about Akane since she ran out of the arena. Come to think of it, I haven't heard from Soun or my no-good husband either. For all we know, they've all gone back to Tokyo," she sighed, "I guess it's for the best."

"I guess so too," said Kairi, "there was no way Ranma and Akane would have worked out."

_:No kidding,: _said Naminé.

"So, Riku," said Nodoka in a brighter tone now that she's changed the subject, "are you ready for your match against that vile Tom Smith?"

"I think so," said Riku, "I've done a lot of thinking. Last night, I went over all his fights from the prelims and the finals. I think I know what his secret is. If I can get around that advantage, I can beat him."

"I hope that works out," said Nodoka, "for all our sakes. I feel as if that…creature, Tom Smith, is pure evil."

"You're not the only one who thinks so, Nodoka Sensei," said Aiden.

After breakfast they headed for the arena. Already in the fighters area was Ranma, Ukyo, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Adam, Felicia, Kyle, Ian, Jean-Louise and Julia.

"So," said Ranma to Sora, "this is it."

"Yeah," said Sora, "this is it."

"Is that all you blokes have to say to each other?" Julia asked, "honestly, yow need to expand your vocabularies."

"And you need to learn better manners, my dear," said Tatewaki.

"Ooh, and you think you can teach me to behave?" Julia asked in a playful tone.

"I can only attempt to tame thee, my wild tiger," said Tatewaki in an affectionate tone.

"Easier said than done, my bold samurai," said Julia in an equally affectionate tone.

"Looks like someone found their soul mate after all," said Ukyo.

"Any word on Akane?" Aiden asked, "I know she's one rotten bitch, but it'd be terrible if something happened to her."

"Don't know and don't care," said Ranma, "the sooner she's out of my life for good, the better."

* * *

"I know exactly where the girl is," said Ursula as she and Hades, sill in their disguises, walked with Tom Smith into the fighters area, "I don't need you to tag along."

"Then why don't you go on ahead and take care of the girl," said Hades in an all too pleasant tone, "I'll be fine right here with our champ. Oh, wait, you can't go because WE'RE STUCK WITH EACH OTHER!"

"Not so loud, you overheated fool!" hissed Ursula, "The brats are just over there. You want to give the game away?"

"Why not," said Hades, "I'm sick of looking like a stupid, boring, weak human, and I'm sure you're tired of the façade as well."

"I am sick of it," said Ursula, "But it's not the right time to reveal ourselves. Believe me when I say I want Sora and the other brats dead, but I'd rather kill them with plenty of Heartless backing us up. Besides, once we turn Akane Tendo into a Heartless, we'll have all the backup we need. She'll destroy The Keyblade Brats for sure."

"Then it's safe to assume," said Tom Smith, "that my services won't be needed any further after today. Once the tournament is complete, I will take my leave."

"Oh no you don't!" said an irate Hades, his eyes blazing furiously through his disguise, "I went through a lot of trouble making sure you'd be strong enough to win this tournament, and no way are you walking away when it's over. You're mine! You hear me! MINE!"

"I beg to differ," said Tom Smith in an all too calm tone, "I believe that you no longer have any power over me at all."

"He's joking, right?" Ursula asked.

"Does he look like he's joking?" Hades asked.

"But don't worry," said Tom Smith, "I have no desire to cause you two fascinating people any trouble. Far from it, I wish to express my gratitude."

"Come again?" Hades asked.

"If it weren't for your efforts," said Tom Smith, "I'd still be a non-corporeal entity; just one angry ghost among countless others. But thanks to you, I have a new lease on life," he stretched and flexed, "this new body, while it pales in comparison to the body I had in my last life, does have its advantages. One of which I fully intend to exploit when the tournament is over."

"And what would that be?" Ursula asked.

"I can now use Dark Corridors," said Tom Smith, "and as soon as the tournament is over, I'll use one to leave this worthless dust ball of a world and seek better prey elsewhere. And when I leave, I intend to stay gone. There is nothing in this universe that interests me, not The Heartless, not Keyholes, not your precious mistress Maleficent, and certainly not you two oddballs."

"So," said a cautious Hades, "no hard feelings then?"

"Consider all past transgressions forgiven and forgotten," said Tom Smith, "go and play with your human target. I can handle things here at the tournament myself. Oh, don't brother wishing me good luck, I don't believe in it at all."

"Okay then," said Hades, "we'll leave you to things here."

"Just make sure that Riku is too damaged to ever fight again," said Ursula, "and if you end up facing Sora in the final match, do the same to him."

"Consider it done," said Tom Smith

Hades and Ursula then walked out of the fighters area. Once they were alone, they teleported to where Ursula said Akane was. They found her on a beach, sobbing a few yards from the surf. As it turned out, this beach was the same one near Miley's house, but the two Villains didn't know that.

"How do you want to handle this?" Ursula asked.

"My way," said Hades. He dropped his disguise and walked up to the still sobbing Akane. He cleared his throat. Akane looked up and was horrified at the sight of the blue-skinned, flame-haired god.

"How's it going? Name's Hades, Lord of the Underworld, nice to meet you."

"Oh just shut up," said Ursula as she dropped her disguise and ran up to Hades and Akane, "you're scaring the poor dear to death, so to speak." Once again, Akane was horrified, now at the sight of the purple-skinned sea witch.

"Well excuse me for trying, sister!" said Hades, "you want to talk to the human so badly, go right ahead! I'm going back to the tournament!"

"Have you forgotten so quickly?" Ursula asked, "we can't take more than a handful of paces away from each other."

"Oh, right," said Hades in a deflated tone. He then muttered, "I'm so gonna get Maleficent for this."

"Just ignore the hot-headed god," said Ursula in a compassionate tone to Akane, "take a few deep breaths and calm down. Then we can talk like civilized people."

Akane did what she was told and relaxed, somewhat, "who are you and what do you want with me?" she asked in a still frightened but controlled tone.

"My name is Ursula," said the purple-skinned sea witch, "and I'm here to make all your dreams come true," she glanced at Hades, "this 'dreamboat' is just along to annoy me, so pretend he's not even there."

"Easier said than done," said Akane in a shaky tone, "but…how can you help me make my dreams come true? And why bother? You don't even know me."

"Oh but I do know you," said Ursula, "you're the girl who's had the perfect life, before a certain someone barged in and ruined everything, a certain perverted, cursed jerk that is."

"Ranma," said an irate Akane through gritted teeth, "everything was just fine with my life, both at home and school, until he came along!"

"He brought so much trouble with him," said Ursula, "all those rivals who just made a mess of things, and all those other fiancées. It's a wonder he could keep his pants up with all those pretty girls around him."

"Ranma is a pervert through and through!" snapped Akane, "and all those other girls, Shampoo, Kodatchi, Ukyo, they're all sluts!"

"And let's not forget the others," said Ursula, "the ones who only now decided it would be fun to make you miserable."

"They're all perverts and sluts!" said Akane, "they're so gonna get it!" from out of nowhere she pulled a large wooden mallet, "I'll smash their filthy heads in!"

"That's the spirit!" said Ursula, "embrace the hate, make it your own. But…"

"But what?" Akane asked in a deflated down as she lowered her mallet.

"I'm afraid there's so many of them," said Ursula, "and only one of you."

"They are kinda strong," said Akane as she thought about it, "but I'm stronger! I know I can beat them all!"

"I'm sure you'll try," said Ursula, "but what if I could make it so that you could beat them for sure."

"What are you talking about?" Akane asked.

"What if, for arguments' sake," said Ursula, "I had a touch of magic, that this magic could grant you the power to make all your dreams come true. Just think of it. The tournament officials were so unfair to disqualify you like that. I'm sure Ranma had something to do with your losing after all."

"I know he did!" said Akane, her voice thick with delusional vindication, "if those idiots hadn't butted in, I could have won my match and be in the semifinals! I could have had my chance to win! I could have won the whole thing! I know I could have!"

"You still can," said Ursula as she summoned a ornately carved wooden box, "I have here the key to your victory in the tournament, the key to putting Ranma and all the others who made your life miserable in their places."

Ursula opened the box and revealed a pineapple-shaped fruit that was colored like poison and had an unpleasant odor about it, "by eating this Darkness Fruit, you will gain the power to make all your dreams come true."

"You'd give me this power?" Akane asked cautiously.

"My dear sweet child," said Ursula as she smiled falsely, "helping those in need is what I do. So, do you want the power? Do you want to make your dreams come true?"

"Yes!" said a green-eyed Akane, "I want to make my dreams come true!" she reached for the Darkness Fruit, but Ursula snapped the lid shut and held the box away from Akane.

"Not so fast, angel-face," said Ursula, "there's the matter of the price to discuss."

"Oh boy," said a slightly exasperated Hades, "here it comes."

"Oh," said a depressed-sounding Akane, "I should have known," she sighed, "I guess you can forget about it then; I'm totally broke, and so is my whole family."

"I'm not asking for a price that can be measured in currency," said Ursula as she summoned a gold-plated scroll and handed it to Akane, "what I'm asking for in return is worth more than all the money in the world."

Akane read the golden contract and her eyes widened in shock and confusion as she saw what Ursula was asking for, "my heart?"

"The path of revenge and victory ain't a walk in the park, darling," said Ursula, "you'll have to give up, for the time being that is, all hopes for happiness and love, and replace them with rage and hate."

"That I've already got," said Akane through gritted teeth, "I hate Ranma so much, I…I don't even know what words to use!"

"Then you won't miss your positive emotions a bit if you truly wish to destroy Ranma," said Ursula, "or, do you care for him despite everything that he did to you?"

"No!" spat Akane in a rash tone, "I don't care about Ranma at all! And the sooner I destroy him, the better! Give me a pen and I'll sign your contract!"

"Didn't see that one coming," Hades sarcastically muttered as Ursula gladly handed Akane a quill. The feathered pen didn't need any ink; Akane merely wrote on the golden contract and her name was etched into the gilded paper like a laser.

"That takes care of the boring, legal manner," said Ursula as she rolled up and vanished the contract. She then opened the box and handed the Darkness Fruit to Akane, "take this and your dreams will finally come true."

Akane took the Darkness Fruit in her hands, "I'll show you yet, Ranma! I'll show you that I'm so better than the lying, whore-mongering pervert you are!" She then ate the Darkness fruit in less than a dozen bites, not caring that her lips and chin were covered in the foul-smelling juice of the vile fruit.

"Okay then," said Akane as she wiped the juice off of her face with a handkerchief, "that had to have been the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten, and I've tried my own cooking. So, when do I get stronger?"

At that Ursula began laughing viciously.

"What's so funny?" Akane asked. She then doubled over in pain and clutched at her heart, "what the…!" she then screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground.

"Looks like someone bit off more than she could chew," chuckled Hades.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh!" said Ursula between cackles.

"You're laughing now, dummy," said Hades.

"I'm laughing on my own, nitwit!" said Ursula.

A dark purple, almost black aura began surrounding Akane, emanating from her heart. "You!" she exclaimed at Ursula between bouts of agony, "you poisoned me! I trusted you!"

"Just goes to show you that you can't trust anyone these days," said Hades.

"I merely upheld my end of the bargain," said Ursula, "I've given you the power, now you have to pay the price!"

"This isn't what we agreed on!" said Akane as she tried to get up, but the agony in her chest forced her back to the ground, "you said I would only lose my emotions!"

"Your emotions were only part of the price," said Ursula, "and I never said that specifically. You should have read the contract more closely, for when it said you were to pay with your heart, it mean your heart! You, Akane Tendo, are now a Heartless!"

"NO!" exclaimed Akane as she futilely struggled against the darkness that was consuming her from within, all the while Ursula cackled triumphantly.

* * *

Ranma suddenly stood up in shock, as if sensing something terrible was happening.

"What's wrong?" Ukyo.

"I…" said Ranma, "I…" he sighed and sat down, "I thought that Akane was in trouble, but it must have been my imagination," he sighed again, "and why should I care? She's always getting herself into trouble, and I always end up saving her ungrateful neck, and she always blames me for getting her into trouble. Well this time she's gonna have to get herself out of trouble. Whatever the problem is this time, she's on her own."

"Even if you did care," said Adam, "and this time I'm glad that you don't care about someone's well being, you couldn't go running out of the arena to save her even if you wanted to."

"I really want to make it to the final round," said Sora, "but not by default."

"If you leave now," said Nodoka, "you'll be disqualified. I'll probably regret it later, but this is one problem Akane is going to have to work out on her own."

"Akane's in dire need of a good dose of reality," Mousse, "Like we needed it."

"We have all changed for the better," said Tatewaki, while Kodatchi, Shampoo, Ryoga and Ukyo nodded in agreement, "but upon retrospect, I doth believe that the not-so fair Akane Tendo be a person with whom change is all but impossible."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Ranma, "you're right, Akane's just gonna have to bite the bullet this time. Besides, this isn't Tokyo. How much trouble can she be in?"

"I've got a feeling that before too long we'll find out," said Kairi.

Just then the tournament official came over and said it was time.

"You ready?" Sora asked Ranma.

"Ready to have fun and give the people a great fight," said Ranma, "you?"

"Ready, willing and able," said Sora.

Just then Nodoka walked up to the two of them, "you two are as ready as you can be. I won't take sides in this fight, you both are equally important to me, both as my son," she looked at Ranma, then at Sora, "and my student. I just want you both to know that I'm very proud of you and how far you've come."

"Thanks, mom," said Ranma.

"Thank you, Sensei," said Sora. With that they both headed for the ring.

"Here's hoping Sora and Riku make it to the final round together," said Aiden to Jake, "it's what we all wanted at the beginning."

"I'm sure in the next tournament you'll all make it to the semi finals together," said Jake.

"That'll be something to see," said Jackson.

"I'm sure it will," said Aiden. He then sighed. Now that the memory of the third image from his vision was clear in his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about it. "Jake, can I trust you with something? It's important that I talk about it with someone who knows how to keep a secret."

"I've been keeping one secret for a while," said Jake, "I think I can handle another."

"What about him?" Aiden asked as he looked at Jackson, "can you keep your mouth shut?"

"Oh please," said Jackson in a tone that sounded like he had just heard a very dumb question, "I've been keeping that particular secret a lot longer than Jake has."

"What about Rico?" Aiden asked, "where is the little beast anyway?"

"That's a good question," said Jake. True enough, Rico wasn't there.

"He's still back in Malibu," said a widely smiling Jackson, "being sued for everything he's got! Some poor kid ate a bad hotdog that Rico sold at his snack shack on the beach, and now he's being sued for reckless endangerment of the public," he looked up to the heavens in devotion, "there is a God after all!"

"Well I'm glad for your new found faith," said Aiden, "but can I trust you? 'Cause what I have to say concerns you and Jake as well."

"You have my strictest of confidence," said Jake, while Jackson nodded in agreement.

"It mostly concerns Miley," said Aiden.

"Of course it does," said a disappointed and slightly annoyed Jackson.

"This is important," said Aiden, "the fate of the world may be involved as well."

But then the audience began cheering as Sora and Ranma entered the ring.

"Guess it'll have to wait," said Aiden.

"Dang flabbit!" said both Jackson and Jake.

* * *

"Hello fight fans around the world!" said Hank, "we're here at the final day of the Tournament of Light!"

"Today we'll be giving you the blow-by-blow action of both the semifinals and the final match!" said Lisa.

"And boy are we ready for a throw down!" said Hannah, "thousands of fighters have entered the tournament. Only 32 made it past the preliminaries, and of those 32, only four remain."

"Ranma, Sora, Riku and Tom Smith," said Hank, "these four have faced and defeated the best the world had to offer. Now they will face each other and determine who will be the world champion."

"First up we have Ranma vs. Sora," said Lisa, "both exceptionally strong, but only one can advance to the final round. Who will it be?"

"I'm equally divided on this one," said Hannah, "both are awesome martial artists, I just can't decide."

"Well it's a good thing that Ranma and Sora will decide for you," said Hank, "just so you folks at home know, the semifinals matches will last twenty minutes. The four semifinalists will have plenty of time to show the world what they're made of!"

"Before we get to it, Sora," said Ranma after he and Sora bowed to each other and took up their fighting stances, "I just want you to know that I'm we met, and that I'm glad we're friends."

"I'm glad we're friends too," said Sora, "and no matter who wins this fight, we'll always be friends."

"That's a promise I will keep for sure," said Ranma.

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang. Sora and Ranma rushed at each other and met in the middle of the ring. They began exchange blows; Ranma would throw a kick or a punch, while Sora would block it and then retaliate with his wooden Keyblade, which Ranma would block then strike back himself.

Every few seconds one of them would get a good hit in, then go back to blocking each other, all in all only inflicting minor damage.

"It looks like we've got a stalemate here, boys and girls!" said Hank, "neither Ranma or Sora can get any good attacks in!"

"At this rate," said Hannah, "they'll go into overtime for sure."

"Unless one of them makes a mistake," said Lisa.

Just then after about seven minutes of the stalemate, Sora overbalanced after blocking one of Ranma's kicks and nearly tripped. This was the opening Ranma had been looking for.

"It's over, Sora!" said Ranma, "take this! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"

Sora found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of punches Ranma threw at him. He tried to block them, but there were just too many. He fell to the floor from the bombardment of fists.

But Sora managed to get back up before the referee counted to 2.

"Nice try," said Sora as he hefted his wooden Keyblade, "but I'm not so easy to beat."

"I never said you were," said Ranma.

"Incredible!" said Hank as Ranma and Sora began exchanging blows again, "just when you thought it was over, Sora bounces back from defeat and is ready for more!"

"But how much more can Sora take?" Lisa asked.

"And how much longer before Ranma makes a mistake?" Hannah asked.

But they didn't get a chance to see Ranma make a mistake, for after another four minutes, he delivered another Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Sora managed to block and dodge the worst of the fist barrage, then tried to get behind Ranma. He didn't let Sora get even halfway behind him. Every time Sora tried to maneuver behind Ranma, the later would turn in time to check the former.

Two minutes later Sora overbalanced and nearly tripped. Ranma then delivered yet another Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, catching Sora by surprise. Sora tried to block the furious barrage of fists, but they were too fast and too many. One especially strong punch hit him in the face and he went down like a rock.

"Sora!" shouted Kairi, Riku and Aiden.

The referee began counting, "1! 2! 3!"

"Get up, Sora!" shouted Riku.

"You can still win, Sora!" shouted Kairi.

"You're the best, Sora!" shouted Aiden, "get up!"

Sora heard his friends and tried to get back up, but he couldn't regain his sense of balance. He managed to get up to his knees, but then collapsed. "Are you able to continue!" the referee asked.

"Oh, look at the pretty stars," said a still dazed Sora. He then passed out.

"Sora is unable to continue!" said the referee, "the winner by TKO is Ranma!"

At that the audience went wild.

"There you have it, folks!" said Hank, "once again, Ranma Saotome proves he is among the best. With those supercharged fists of his, Ranma advances to the final round!"

"And Sora goes home with one serious headache," said Lisa.

"He's out flatter than the tires on my Mamaw's car after she drives cross country," said Hannah.

"Damn," said Aiden, "I thought Sora had this won."

"Easy come, easy go," said Jake.

"Sora!" said Kairi, "can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"How many fingers do you see?" Riku asked as he held up three fingers on his right hand.

Sora, who had been carried back to the fighters area, was revived but still disoriented. He blinked several times before answering, "either one or nine," said Sora, "and when did you get two twins, Riku?"

"He'll be alright," said one of the tournament medics, "just a mild concussion."

"I got this," said Kairi as she used her healing magic to fix Sora.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that," said Kyle, "real magic that is."

"After all the insanity we've experienced over the past few days," said Adam, "I'll believe anything."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Ryoga.

Sora then blinked several times and sat up. "What happened?" He asked, "did I win?"

"Sorry, Sora," said Ranma, "looks like you'll have to try again in the next tournament."

"Oh," said a slightly depressed Sora. He then smiled, "at least I tried. And there'll always be another tournament. I'll beat you next time, Ranma, count on it."

"I'll look forward to it," said Ranma.

"Well, this has been rather tedious," said Tom Smith as he stood up from his seat, "all this waiting. But if it's alright with the rest of you, I'll take my place in the ring," he looked at Riku, "no need for you to rush. Enjoy what little time you have as a martial artist, for when I'm done with you, no amount of magical healing will ever make you a whole person again." With that he walked to the ring.

"I don't think I'll be able to stand having that creep win," said Ukyo in a shaky tone, "he's so…so…"

"Evil?" Ian offered.

"Exactly," said Ukyo.

"Don't worry," said Riku in a confident tone, "I've figured out how he's been able to win so easily, and I have a plan to get around his power."

"You sure you're ready?" Sora asked.

"As I'll ever be," said Riku.

"You are more than ready," said Nodoka, "I believe you have what it takes to rid this tournament of that vile monster. You have my utmost confidence."

"Thank you, Sensei," said Riku, "well, wish me luck."

"Good luck," said Kairi, "you're gonna need it."

Riku smiled confidently at his friends and walked to the arena.

Just then Rico ran and hopped into his seat, "sorry! I was tied up with a meeting with my lawyer. So, what'd I miss?"

"Oh, nothing much," said an annoyed and depressed Aiden, "my friend lost his match, now my other friend is going to get his ass handed to him by this really evil creep."

"Oh, sorry to hear that," said Rico, "so, you want to bet on the next fight?"

"Oh shut up and watch already," said Aiden.

"And here's the other match of the semifinals, folks!" said Hank, "Riku vs. Tom Smith!"

"Both fighters have proven themselves to be powerful martial artists," said Lisa, "and both have shown straightforward hard hitting. But where as Riku tries to think his way to victory, Tom Smith seems to rely on near-sadistic brutality."

"Let's all hope Riku's brains trump Tom Smith's brute force," said Hannah, "I know I'm rooting for Riku."

"So, Riku," said Tom Smith after the two fighters bowed to each other, "any last words before I destroy you?" he then assumed his fighting stance.

"I've got plenty to say," said Riku as he stood calmly with his wooden Keyblade against his shoulder, "so you might as well relax."

"You think you've got a chance against me," said Tom Smith as he stood at ease, "but in truth, you're nothing compared to me. You're just trying to stall the inevitable."

"I know your secret, Tom Smith!" said Riku abruptly, "I know how you're so strong! You're able to absorb kinetic energy inflicted on your body. Every time you get punched or kicked, you get that much stronger!"

Tom Smith blinked in surprise, "how'd you figure that out?"

"I watched all your fights from the tournament," said Riku, "technology can be incredible sometimes, especially high-speed cameras and digital programs that all you to watch digitally recorded footage millisecond by millisecond. It only took a few viewings to realize you've been soaking kinetic energy up like a sponge, and an evil sponge at that."

"I'll admit to that," said Tom Smith, "I am evil, through and through. But there's nothing you can do to stop me. All I have to do is destroy you, then I will be facing Ranma. He has more power as a martial artist than anyone else on this pathetic world. When I face him, I will absorb everything he throws at me. His power will become mine!"

"Not if I stop you first!" snapped Riku as he hefted his wooden Keyblade.

"Well, aren't you eager to have your life as a martial artist destroyed," said Tom Smith as he assumed his fighting stance again, "I won't kill you, but I'll see to it that you never hold a sword again!"

"Go for it," said Riku in a daring tone.

"Let's get it on!" said the referee as the big bell rang.

Riku stood his ground, while Tom Smith blinked, "aren't you going to attack?" he asked.

"Why rush?" Riku asked, "we've got plenty of time."

"Looks like Riku's trying to intimidate Tom Smith into making the first move," said Hank.

"This guy has walked over everyone else he's faced," said Lisa, "but Riku's not gonna take any crap from Tom Smith, not today, not tomorrow, not ever!"

"I'd say he's got this match won already," said Hannah, "if Riku can keep his cool, he'll beat Tom Smith for sure."

"You think you can out think me?" Tom Smith asked, "I've seen and done things that would give you nightmares while you were awake!"

"I've had worse," said Riku, "So, are you going to attack? I can wait the whole twenty minutes if I have to, and then into overtime. Unlike you, I've got a free schedule this afternoon."

"You little punk!" snapped Tom Smith, "I'll skin you alive!" he rushed at Riku, indenting to deliver a one-punch knockout. Riku easily dodged the punch then circled away to the left.

"Too slow!" said Riku.

"Damn it!" snapped Tom Smith as he aimed another punch at Riku, but he dodged it and circled away. Tom Smith then aimed a kick at Riku, but again he dodged and circled away. "Hold still, damn you!"

"For you, never!" said Riku as he dodged another punch.

"I get it," said Ranma, "Riku's dodging and moving away so he's always a good distance from the edge of the ring, so Tom Smith can't maneuver to win by a ring-out."

"And since Tom Smith gets his power by absorbing kinetic energy," said Kairi, "if Riku doesn't hit him, he can't gain anything."

"At this rate, Tom Smith will exhaust his energies," said Sora, "then all Riku needs is one good hit to knock Tom Smith down or out of the ring."

"If he gets the only hit in before time runs out," said Ryoga, "then the judges will declare Riku the winner."

But then Tom Smith realized what Riku was going for, "oh no you don't!" he then changed tactics and rushed at Riku headlong in a tackling move. Riku barely dodged it, but wound up tripping and falling onto the floor.

"I'll smash you into a pulp!" shouted Tom Smith as he shoved the referee aside and stood over Riku with his fists raised.

Riku brought up his Dark Shield just in time to stop the first punch. Surprised, Tom Smith then punched at the downed Riku again, but the shield stopped him. Outraged, Tom Smith began pummeling against the shield, using all his strength to break through, his arms moving so fast they were barely visible. But Riku was relentless in keeping his shield up.

"Talk about banging your head against the wall!" said Lisa.

"More like trying to move a stubborn cow while she's chewing her morning cud," said Hannah.

"This is unbelievable folks!" said Hank, "it's the irresistible force against the immovable object! Who will give first?"

"How long can Riku keep that shield up?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," said Aiden, "I just hope it's long enough."

After ten minutes of this stalemate, Tom Smith still kept furiously punching at Riku's shield. Although he hadn't move since he put his shield up, Riku was looking more than exhausted.

"It's useless to resist me!" shouted Tom Smith, "useless!"

"Oh yeah!" shouted Riku, "then why are you sweating more than I am?"

True enough, while Riku looked like he had just ran a marathon, Tom Smith looked like he had just ran two.

"I'll still crust you!" snapped Tom Smith as he kept up his furious barrage of fists. But his punches weren't as heavyand fast as before. Riku could tell that the strain on his shield was lessening. After another minute, Tom Smith was gasping for breath and his punches slowed down to the point it that he was barely able to get his arms up.

"Are you done?" Riku asked, "'cause I'm just getting started!" he dropped his shield and rolled out of the way as Tom Smith overbalanced and fell to the floor.

"This is for Ian, Shampoo and everyone else you've hurt, you prick!" shouted Riku as he stood up and delivered a massive Keyblade strike to Tom Smith's head, sending the vile martial artist flying out of the ring and slamming onto the floor.

"Ring out!" said the referee, "the winner is Riku!"

At that the audience exploded into applause and cheering.

"Awesome!" shouted Lisa, "awesome!"

"What a fight, boys and girls!" said Hank, "what an unbelievable fight! Riku emerged from under the hammer and turned the tables on Tom Smith!"

"He did it!" said both Lisa and Hannah as they both jumped up and down, "he did it!"

"And with that, folks," said Hank, "Riku advances to the final match, where he will face Ranma to determine the championship."

"I told you he would win!" said Aiden as he also hopped up and down with joy, "Riku totally beat that creep, and I so called it!"

"Yeah, whatever," said a disappointed Rico.

"Uh, Aiden," said Jake, "any chance you going to tell us that secret?"

"Or are you going to spend the rest of the day doing the happy dance?" Jackson asked.

"What secret?" Rico asked.

"None of your business," said Aiden. He then whispered to Jake and Jackson, "we've got time before the final round, so I tell you, but Sora and the others need to be there as well. Let's go."

* * *

"You did it, Riku!" exclaimed Sora, "you beat that creep!"

"And you made it to the final round!" said Kairi, "you've got a shot at winning the tournament!"

Ranma, Adam and the others were about to congratulate Riku, but then Tom Smith walked up, "I was hoping to have a few words with you before I take my leave."

"What do you want?" Riku asked defensively, "a rematch? I would, gladly, if only to finish you off like the Villain you are, but I'm still in the tournament. If I fight someone else outside the scheduled match, I could be disqualified."

"No way is that happening," said Ranma, "we've gone through too much to get to where we are, just to have things ruined by this creep!"

"You want to fight so badly," said Ian, "fight me! I underestimated you once, it won't happen again!"

"Shampoo ready this time!" said the purple-haired Amazon.

"Save a piece for us!" said Kyle as he, Felicia, Jean-Louise, Julia, Ryoga, Ukyo, Kodatchi, Tatewaki and Mousse, assumed their fighting stances.

"I just want to talk," said Tom Smith as he raised his arms disarmingly, "to say that you've surely proven we wrong."

"I don't get it," said Riku.

"I was bored," said Tom Smith, "bored with this world. You see, as you've probably guessed by now, I'm not human. I haven't been human for a long time in fact. I won't go into details as to my previous life, but let's just say that when I finally died in that world, I was a real monster.

"But then my own universe kicked out my soul and sent me to this universe, where a certain flame-haired god decided to use me for his own nefarious reasons."

"Hades!" said a shocked Sora, "he's here on Earth?"

"And another Villain," said Tom Smith, "a rather fat witch with purple skin. They brought me here to fight and win the tournament. Guess their plan didn't work out after all."

"Ursula," said Kairi.

"Hades and Ursula are working together?" Sora asked, "how'd that happen?"

"From what I could tell," said Tom Smith, "they pissed off an even bigger baddie."

"That would be Maleficent," said Riku.

Tom Smith nodded, "she put this really strong whammy on them so they couldn't take more then twenty paces from each other. They're stuck together, so to speak. But back with me, I managed to free myself from Hades control just before the matches today. But my former masters could care less, they're after a much, much bigger fish than I."

"What are you talking about?" Ranma asked.

"That's something you'll have to see for yourself," said Tom Smith as he smiled viciously, "which brings me to why I'm talking with you. I said I was bored on this world, but not any longer," he looked at Riku, "you intrigue me, human, you and your friends."

"I don't know whether to feel flattered or insulted," said Riku.

"Both will work," said Tom Smith, "but I digress. I was prepared to leave this world and never come back, regardless of how the tournament turned out. But you extraordinary humans have given me a reason to return someday, when I am ready."

"For what?" Felicia asked.

"To destroy you of course," said Tom Smith, "this body I am in, wile it has its perks, is rather inadequate for the pleasure I have in mind. If I were to try to fight any of you at this moment, I would be overwhelmed and destroyed. Having experienced death before, I have no desire to repeat the experience any time soon, so this is goodbye, for now.

"But don't relax your guard. One day I will return, when I have reacquired the powers I had in my former life, the powers in which I will crush you humans into dust. Then we will fight and see who is the better, in truth this time."

"We'll be waiting," said Sora, while Riku, Kairi, Ranma, Ukyo, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Kodatchi, Tatewaki, Adam, Kyle, Ian, Julia, Felicia and Jean-Louise, nodded in agreement.

"Then I bid you all a fond farewell," said Tom Smith. He then summoned a Dark Corridor, "until our next encounter."

"Wait!" said Riku.

"What is it?" Tom Smith asked.

"I just wanted to know your real name," said Riku, "'cause it sure ain't Tom Smith."

"An alias for sure," said Tatewaki.

"So just who the bloody hell are you, anyway?" Kyle asked.

"Am I really that interesting?" Tom Smith asked. He then smiled viciously, "very well then. My name, my real name, is Dio Brando. Remember it." With that he went through the Dark Corridor and it closed up after him.

"Dio Brando," said Kairi.

"Looks like we've got another Villain who hates us," said Riku, "as if our lives weren't complicated enough as they are."

"What now?" Aiden asked as he ran up closely followed by Jake and Jackson, "I saw the Dark Corridor. Which Villain was it?"

"A new one," said Sora. He then gave Aiden a summarized version of what just happened.

"So Tom Smith worked for Ursula and Hades?" Aiden asked, "and now he's gonna come back someday and try and kill us?"

"Looks that way to me," said Riku.

"What are you talking about?" Jackson asked, "and what's this got to do with that thing you tried to tell us earlier?"

"Just a second," said Aiden, "first, Sora, Riku, Kairi, this is Jackson, Miley's brother. I want to tell him, and Jake, about the thing."

"Which thing?" Sora asked, "The Heartless? Or the Villains?"

"Jake already knows about that," said Aiden, "we can always fill Jackson about them later. I want to tell him and Jake about the thing we talked about yesterday, you know, the one about Miley?"

"What's this about Miley?" asked Lilly, dressed as Lola, and wearing an orange wig with a matching orange and yellow outfit, while Oliver was dressed as Mike.

"That's what I've been trying to find out," said Jackson, "and where have you been all during the tournament?"

"I've been saving you seats in the VIP area," said Jake, "where were you two?"

"Duh!" said Mike, "in the Green Room. Where else?"

"They've got chocolate fountains," said Lola as she used a napkin to wipe a smudge of chocolate sauce from her chin.

"Oh, I love those!" said Kairi, "everything tastes better when dipped in chocolate!"

"Can I talk now?" Aiden asked.

"About what?" Ryoga asked.

Aiden sighed, "you might as well listen too, you and everyone else, 'cause this concerns you all."

"We're listening," said Jake as he, Jackson, Lilly, Oliver, Adam, Felicia, Kyle, Jean-Louise, Ian, Julia, Ryoga, Ukyo, Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Shampoo, Mousse and Ranma sat down and listened.

"Okay then," said Aiden, "It all started when I teamed up with Sora, Riku and Kairi to save my world. While we were fighting The Heartless, I had this vision in which I got my Keyblade, and a while lot of other stuff." He then explained his vision of the new Princesses of Heart, especially the image of Miley.

"Wait just one dang minute here," said Jackson, "you're saying that my sister is some kind of princess?"

"Not just any princess," said Kairi, "A Princess of Heart, which means she has a very pure heart and an incredibly strong power that goes with it."

"We're not sure what Miley's power is exactly," said Riku, "nor are we sure why your faces were in Aiden's vision. I think I may have a theory; that you're supposed to protect her from evil."

"Well you can count on us to do that," said Ukyo, "if Miley is a Princess of Heart, then we'll keep her safe."

"Darn right!" said Kyle as he and the others nodded in agreement, "we'll protect Miley when she's Miley and Hannah Montana."

At that Jake, Jackson, Lilly and Oliver all blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Lilly asked in a shaky tone, "Miley's not Hannah. That's just plain silly."

"Oh drop the act, Lola Luftnaggle," said Kodatchi, "or should I say, Lilly Truscott."

"And you, Mr. Mike Stanley III," said Tatewaki, "are none other than Mr. Oliver Oken, or am I wrong?"

Cautiously, and with no small amount of shame, Lilly and Oliver nodded in admission, "yeah, you caught us," said Oliver.

"And yes," said Lilly, "Miley is Hannah. But how did you know figure it out?"

"Anyone with a brain and good memory could tell that the two are one," said Adam, "now I've seen several of Hannah's videos and concert films, and I met her at the party. I've also seen Miley several times, and it doesn't take a genius to realize that the similarities between the two are more than uncanny."

"I figured it out when we all first met Miley," said Felicia, while Kyle, Ian, Julia and Jean-Louise nodded in agreement.

"And we figured it out when we all heard Miley sing last night in the karaoke room," said Mousse, while Kodatchi, Tatewaki, Ukyo, Ryoga and Shampoo nodded in agreement, "I may be blind as a bat, but my hearing is perfect."

"One would have to be a complete imbecile not to realize that Ms. Miley and Ms. Hannah have the same voice," said Tatewaki.

"Which means that we have double duty," said Ukyo.

"We protect Miley and Hannah," said Shampoo, "from darkness and stalker."

"What stalker?" Kairi asked.

"I guess the FBI did their job in keeping the media quiet about it," said Ian.

"Only a handful of people in the world know that there's a stalker after Hannah," said Felicia, "a complete lunatic who threatened to kidnap her in front of the whole world during the award ceremony of the tournament this evening."

"This guy is really obsessed with Hananh," said Mousse, "he attacked the paparazzi photographer who faked those embarrassing photos of Hannah and firebombed the tabloid magazine that published the pictures.

"And he's firebombed two more magazine offices," said Julia, "and attacked two more photographers, one of which died."

"The FBI has tried their best to catch the maniac," said Kodatchi, "but their efforts so far have been in vain."

"But they had a contingency plan already in place," said Adam, "on the last day of the preliminaries, the FBI selected twelve martial artists who were sure to make it to the top 32. These martial artists were asked to protect Hannah in the event the maniac comes to make good on his kidnapping threat."

"And you guys are the twelve the FBI picked to protect Hannah?" Sora asked.

"_Oui_!" said Jean-Louise, while Adam, Julia, Kyle, Ian, Felicia, Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo Mousse, Tatewaki and Kodatchi nodded in agreement.

"So that's why you two changed your opinion of Hannah," said Riku to the Kuno Siblings.

"That," said Tatewaki, "and the fact that we were given genuine evidence that images tarnishing her reputation were indeed farcified."

"The evidence was in the magazine that published the pictures in the first place," said an irate Kyle, "if you had just looked at the next day's issue, you would have seen the letter of apology to Hannah, as well as the proof."

"That's right," said Jean-Louise, "you should have taken our word for it."

"Well excuse us for not taking a pair of total strangers seriously," said Kodatchi.

"You all were ready to trust each other during the party," said Kairi, "you all thought Happosai was the maniac."

"Which he wasn't," said Felicia, "the real stalker is still out there. But when that scumbag makes his move, we'll be ready."

Just then Hannah walked up, "what's the problem, Lola?" she asked, "I got your text, you said it was an emergency."

"Like you would never believe," said Lilly(Lola) as she pocketed her phone.

"First of all," said Adam, "we're the ones whom The FBI asked to protect you from the stalker."

"I know," said Hannah, "the FBI told me last night."

"Then that clears up one difficulty," said Kyle, "we'll do everything we can and more to keep that bloody maniac away from you."

"The second he shows up and tries to take you, Miley," said Ukyo, "we'll stomp his guts."

"That makes me feel a lot better," said a slightly unsure Hannah, "wait…did you just…?"

"They figured it out on their own," said Aiden.

"And we won't tell a soul," said Mousse, while Felicia, Shampoo, Ian and the others nodded in agreement, "your secrets are safe with us, Miley."

"Oh, okay," said Miley, "I do feel better now, sort of. Wait, what secrets? 'Cause I only have the one."

"It's a long story," said Sora.

"Longer than the one you told me about other worlds and Heartless?" Miley asked.

"Well this one is a dozy," said Kairi, "and it concerns you specifically. Miley, you're a Princess of Heart."

Miley blinked in surprise, "pen pall who goes to other worlds say what?"

But before Kairi could answer, she, Riku, Sora and Aiden all sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

"I'm afraid the truth is going to have to wait, Miley," said Kairi, "trouble's coming."

There was a teleportation flash in the ring. When the light cleared, everyone, our heroes, allies and everyone else in the arena, were shocked to see Hades and Ursula, out of their disguises and in their Villainy glory.

"Good evening, ladies and not ladies," said Hades, his voice amplified by dark magic so everyone could hear him, "sorry for the interruption, but the final match of this tournament has been indefinitely postponed. Instead, we've got something much, much better for you all."

"Introducing to all you little and pathetic people," said Ursula, "the new and improved Akane Tendo, the rightful winner of the tournament of Light, or shall I say, Tournament of Darkness!"

There was another teleportation flash, and there in front of Hades and Ursula was Akane, surrounded by a dark purple aura and a look of utmost hate on her face.

"Akane?" a shocked Ranma asked.

"Oh crap!" said Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, for they recognized the dark power emanating from Akane. They knew that she had become a Heartless.

**The end of chapter 8.**

Next chapter, well…you'll have to read it to believe it, fellow readers and writers. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9: The Final Match Part 1

Last time found Aiden having the truth confirmed; Miley is Hannah. Bit it's okay, since Miley trusts Aiden, and therefore her friends and family trusts him. Miley soon came to trust Sora and the others as they had the truth confirmed for them as well.

At the same time, the Hakonians caught up with Happosai, right in front of our heroes, Miley and her friends. A cataclysmic battle was averted when Reddik and the others took Happosai with them back to New Hollow Bastion, but left behind several Heartless for our heroes to 'play' with. Fortunately, Ranma, Adam and the other martial artists arrived to help end the battle.

The next day at the semi-finals found Ranma defeating Sora, while Riku revealed the secret to Tom Smith's power and defeated him. Tom Smith didn't hold any grudges against Riku, rather, he was impressed, enough to promise to return later, after he acquired some new powers. Before he left, the heartless martial artist revealed his real name; Dio Brando.

While all this was happening, Ursula and Hades caught up with the sulking Akane and offered her the power to get her revenge and make all her dreams come true. Akane fell for the one-sided deal and became a Heartless. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 9: The Final Match Part 1**

There was a teleportation flash in the ring. When the light cleared, everyone, our heroes, allies and everyone else in the arena, were shocked to see Hades and Ursula.

"Good evening, ladies and not ladies," said Hades, his voice amplified by dark magic so everyone could hear him, "sorry for the interruption, but the final match of this tournament has been indefinitely postponed. Instead, we've got something much, much better for you all."

"Introducing to all you little and pathetic people," said Ursula, "the new and improved Akane Tendo, the rightful champion of the Tournament of Light, or shall I say, Tournament of Darkness!"

There was another teleportation flash, and there in front of Hades and Ursula was Akane, surrounded by a dark purple aura and a look of utmost hate on her face.

"Akane?" a shocked Ranma asked.

"Oh crap!" said Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, for they recognized the dark power emanating from Akane. They knew that she had become a Heartless.

"Either my eyes doth deceive me," said a shocked Tatewaki, "or Akane Tendo hath turned to the dark side."

"You're not hallucinating," said an equally shocked Julia.

"How did this happen?" Kyle asked, "how she get like this?"

"Her heart must have been so full of darkness," said Kairi, "she just gave up her humanity and surrendered to evil."

"Then how come she still looks like Akane?" Ukyo asked.

"I'll bet it must have something to do with her stubbornness," said Mousse.

"Yeah," said Ryoga, "Akane's one of the most strong-willed people I know. She must have retained her outward appearance when her heart was consumed by the darkness."

"If that's true," saids Sora, "then there's a Nobody that looks like Akane out there somewhere."

"One problem at a time," said Riku, "Sora, are you sensing what I'm sensing?"

"I wish I wasn't," said Sora as he realized that the dark aura coming from Akane was all too familiar.

"It's the same feeling we got from Togakuto," said Kairi, "Ursula must have tricked Akane into eating a Darkness Fruit!"

"Okay, here's how things are now," said Hades, "will Ranma Saotome please report to the ring? Someone has a bone to pick with you!"

"Ranma!" shouted Akane, "you're gonna get yours, you jerk!"

"You'd better get up here, tough guy," said Ursula, "otherwise, Akane's going to have to come to you, and that won't make her happy at all."

"You think you can get away with being a jerk and a pervert, Ranma!" exclaimed Akane, "well not any more! Now that I've gotten rid of my heart, I'll crush you into dust!"

"Oh man," said a very nervous Oliver, "she sounds serious."

"Running would be a good idea right about now," said Jackson.

Sora saw that a lot of the audience had the same idea as they headed for the exits.

"Not so fast!" shouted Hades as he sent several cursed fireballs at the exits, blocking them with dark flames, "nobody is going anywhere!"

"Everyone back to your seats!" said Ursula to the now very frightened audience, "this is one show you don't want to miss!"

"Get your cross-dressing ass up here, Ranma!" shouted Akane, "or I'll drag it up here myself, you jerk!"

"Stop calling me a jerk!" exclaimed Ranma, his face set with fury, "I've had it with you, Akane. You want to throw down! Let's throw down! You couldn't beat me before, I'll still beat you now, Heartless or not!"

He took a step towards the ring, but Nodoka stopped him, "you can't! Don't you see that this is a trap!"

"Hades and Ursula have something planned," said Riku, "if you go up there, you'll fall right into their hands and who knows what they'll do to you?"

"And if you fight Akane," said Ian, "you'll be disqualified from the tournament."

"I think the tournament rules have been thrown out the window at this point," said Ukyo, "but that's just my opinion."

"Just don't be reckless, Ranma," said Kairi, "we'll handle this."

"We've fought this kind of battle before," said Sora.

"Actually," said Aiden, "it was Luffy who beat Togakuto, so this is defiantly a different battle. Still, we can win if it's just the four of us against Akane. I mean, how strong can she be now?"

As if to answer Aiden's question, Akane charged up a sphere of dark magic and threw it at the audience. Over a dozen innocents were in the line of fire, but they managed to get out of the way in time to avoid being destroyed as the dark sphere exploded and destroyed a small part of the arena.

"Consider that a warning, Ranma Saotome," said Ursula, "either come up here and fight Akane, or the next shot will definitely end some lives."

"Better get to it, kido," said Hades, while Akane charged up another sphere of darkness.

Ranma stood there with an ambiguous look on his face. On one hand, he wanted to fight Akane, despite the danger, if only to prove himself the stronger, but part of him also knew that this was one fight he might not walk away from. But if he didn't fight, then a lot of innocent people would get hurt, or worse.

Sora and the others sensed Ranma's indecision, "you don't have to do this alone," said Sora.

"We're with you," said Kairi, "and if those two Villains think they can pull a fast one on you, they've got another thing coming!"

"We'll fight with you!" said Aiden, while Riku nodded in agreement.

"Count us in as well!" said Felicia, while Ian, Julia, Kyle, Jean-Louise, Adam, Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and the Kuno siblings nodded in agreement.

"No," said Ranma in a confidence and steady tone, "I appreciate the offer, but this is my challenge. It's me Akane wants to kill, not you guys."

"And you guys need to stay back and keep Miley safe," said Sora to Adam, Ryoga and the others.

"You many not want to believe it, Miley," said Kairi, "but you're more important than you know."

"Gee, that makes me feel a whole lot better," said Miley in a sarcastic tone.

"You guys aren't helping me either," said Ranma to Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "this is something I have to do myself."

"Why?" Nodoka asked, "why do you have to risk your life in what's clearly a trap?"

"Because I have to, mom," said Ranma, "call me crazy, but this is my fight. Don't worry, I'll win for sure."

"I wish I had your confidence, Ranma," said Nodoka.

"Uh, hello!" said an impatient Hades, "are we gonna do this already?"

"Or does Akane have to practice her fastball again?" Ursula asked, while Akane threatened to throw her dark sphere.

"Get up here so I can kill you, Ranma!" shouted Akane.

"Just hold your horses, already!" said Ranma, "I'm coming!" He looked at Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, the Kuno's, Adam, Felicia, Kyle, Julia, Ian and Jean-Louise, "you guys hang back and keep Miley safe, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Ranma," said Ukyo, while the Kuno's and Ian nodded in agreement.

"We keep friend Miley safe," said Shampoo, while Felicia, Mousse and Ryoga nodded in agreement.

"To the living end," said Adam, while Julia, Jean Louise and Kyle nodded in agreement.

"Hey, wait a second!" said Jackson, "what about us?"

"We were in that vision of Aiden's," said Jake, "maybe we're supposed to protect Miley as well."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Lilly asked.

"I'm still trying to figure out how I'm supposed to be some sort of princess," said Miley.

"Just keep back and stay alive," said Riku.

"Ranma," said Sora, "if we can't fight with you, we'll cheer you from the sidelines!"

"We'll give you the biggest cheering the world has ever heard!" said Kairi.

"No doubt," said Riku, while Aiden nodded in agreement.

"Okay," said Ranma, "let's get this show on the road." With that he, Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden walked to the ring.

"Well, well, well," said Hades, "look what the jackal dug up. If it ain't the junior heroes."

"And here I thought we'd have to drag you all out of the water to destroy you," said Ursula.

"I said Ranma!" snapped Akane, "not these loser perverts!"

"Let's get this straight, you already coozed-up to begin with bitch!" said a very irate Aiden, "not everyone is a pervert, especially not me. Just because you've sold your heart to the darkness doesn't mean you can treat everyone else like crap, not now, not before, not ever!"

"Just what the hell is your problem anyway, Akane?" Kairi asked, "why do you have so much hate in you?"

"She's a Heartless now," said Riku, "she shouldn't have any emotions at all."

"I'm talking about why she's so hateful before," said Kairi, "which only now seems to be worse."

"Ain't it obvious, flower-child?" Ursula asked, "some people are just born rotten."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Ranma as he hopped onto the ring, "Akane, I should have realized it from the beginning. You're more than just an un-cute tomboy with anger management issues and a whole lot of other issues; you are one of the most irrational, irresponsible, ignorant girls I know. I should have walked away from you the moment I first saw you."

"You jerk!" spat Akane, "I'll kill you!"

"Then kill me, if you can!" said Ranma as he took up his fighting stance, while Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden stood at the edge of the ring. "What's done is done, so after today, I'm moving forward to my own future, my own life where I make my own decisions, and you can just rot in hell for all I care."

"I'll kill you!" snapped Akane, "I'll kill you, you jerk!"

"You said that already," said Ranma, "so either put up or shut up!"

"Wait," said Hades, "something's not right here. Be back in a flash." With that he vanished in a large surge of flames.

* * *

"If you're still watching at home, folks," said Hank, "then you're seeing something beyond belief. Two otherworldly weirdo's with terrible powers have hijacked the arena and are forcing Ranma to fight Akane Tendo, who somehow has been supercharged with an equally dark power and is out for blood, Ranma's blood to be exact!"

"And Ranma seems to be willing to risk it all," said Lisa, "he's standing in the ring, ready to fight to the bitter end, all to save the lives of everyone trapped in the arena."

"Oh sweet niblets!" said Miley in a worried tone, "I've got to get back to the commentators table!"

"You still want to do that?" Oliver asked, "have you completely lost it?"

"Miley, get with the picture!" said Lilly, "there are two evil…things…with a third evil…thing… that used to be Akane, and they're going to kill everyone here if Ranma doesn't fight the third evil thing that was Akane. This isn't something you can risk your life just to comment on."

"They're right," said Jake, "Miley, I think it's best we get as far away from the ring as we can."

"What he said," said Jackson, "Let's just find dad, get to a safe place and wait for it to all blow over."

"I know how dangerous it is," said Miley reluctantly, "I know that we need to get out of harms way. But…"

"But what?" Jake asked.

"I also feel that I'm needed," said Miley, "look at everyone in the audience. They're so frightened. They need something to give them hope. The need me as Hannah; they need her there to give Ranma support in the only way Hannah can right now, as the commentator."

"Oh," said Jake in a thoughtful tone, "well, I can't seem to find anything to disagree with that. Other than your staying alive that is, but I believe you believe you know what you're doing."

"I can't think of anything either," said Lilly.

"Me neither," said both Oliver and Jackson.

"Can I get my two cents in?" Adam asked, "Miley, what if we don't want you to risk your life?"

"We're the ones who are supposed to protect you from danger," said Kyle, "and we'd be doing a poor job if we let you go headlong into the jaws of the monster."

"Not without us that is," said Ukyo.

"If you're going to do your best to give everyone hope," said Mousse, "then let us be there to give you hope."

"We do our job so Miley do hers," said Shampoo. At that Felicia, Ian, Julia, Jean-Louise, Ryoga and the Kuno's nodded in agreement.

"And if they're going," said Jake, "then so am I."

"No way are you putting yourself in danger without your besties," said Lilly, while Oliver nodded in agreement.

At that Jackson sighed in annoyance, "you do realize that if you do this, not only is dad gonna kill you, then so will Mamaw, Uncle Earl, Aunt Pearl, Aunt Dolly and everyone else back in Crowley Corners."

"And if I don't," said Miley, "then a lot of innocent people could get hurt, or worse. I have to do this, Jackson, and if you won't help, then at least get out of my way."

"Why do you always have to be so…so…" said Jackson in a frustrated tone.

"Pure hearted?" Lilly offered.

"That's it," said Jackson, "and count me in as well. Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"Speak for yourself," said Miley as she smiled mischievously.

"Speak for yourself," said Jackson in a mocking tone.

"Speak for yourself," said Miley in a mocking tone.

"Miley! Focus!" said Jake, "the match."

"Right," said Miley. She took several calming breaths, "okay," she took a step towards the commentators table, but then turned around, "Jake?"

"Yeah, Miley?" Jake asked.

Without warning, Miley rushed up to Jake and kissed him full on the lips. Jake was startled, but then he quickly kissed back with equal passion. They broke apart after ten seconds.

"What was that for?" a smiling Jake asked, "not that I'm not glad you did it."

"Just in case I don't get the chance later," said Miley as she smiled back at him. With that she hurried to the commentators table and quickly got back into character.

"Sorry I'm late!" said Hannah as she took her seat next to Hank and Lisa, "I had to reassure a few friends that I was okay."

"Well you certainly did some reassuring, alright," said Lisa as she smiled eagerly despite the danger nearby, "either I need glasses, or you just kissed Jake Ryan in front of the entire arena and over five-hundred million people around the world."

"Teen sport jockey say what?" Hannah asked in a shocked tone as she realized that she had kissed Jake where everyone in the arena could see her.

"Everyone saw it," said Hank, "and the cameras are still rolling, not to mention everyone with a camera phone was clicking and texting the news to the world."

"I know you and Jake never got a chance to finish that kissing scene on his show," said Lisa, "but that was years ago. Why do it now?"

Miley instantly felt embarrassed, but then as Hannah, she came up with a brilliant cover story, "that was practice."

"Practice for what?" Lisa asked.

"For our first movie together," said Hannah, "it won't be official until a studio gives us the green light, but Jake and I are planning to remake 'Xanadu' together, with us as the leading rolls, and with The Jonas Brothers helping out on the music."

"How cool is this, people!" exclaimed Lisa, "in the head of the moment, Hannah Montana announced her plan to make movies with Jake Ryan! It's like a new Fred Astare and Ginger Rodgers!"

"That's what we said we would be!" said Hannah.

"Sounds great," said Hank, "but why were you talking to the other martial artists? What's their part in all of this?"

"It's a long story," said Hannah.

* * *

Just then Hades reappeared with the referee and shoved him into the ring, "sorry about ducking out like that, folks. Had to find this bozo before he tried to call the cops. It won't be a tournament without a referee," the flame-haired god glared at the referee, "so you'd better do your job right," he held up another fireball, "or else.

"Oh, before I forget, there's a few changes to this match. First of all, no time limit, no ring outs and no submissions. This is strictly a death match. Only one of these fighters is getting outta here alive," Hades then glared at the referee, "but that won't be a problem, will it?"

"Like we don't know who's the winner is already," said Ursula.

"In that case," said the referee calmly in spite of the terrible danger before him, "let's get it on!" with that the big bell rang.

"Die, pervert!" spat Akane as she rushed at Ranma and threw a punch at him. He blocked it, then had to block a furious barrage of punches and kicks Akane threw at him. It was clear from the start that Akane was relying on sheer brute force to overwhelm Ranma, either by forcing him out of the ring, or just by beating him to death. And judging by the force of Akane's attacks, she was aiming for the later outcome.

"She really has gotten stronger," said Ryoga in a shocked and impressed tone.

"But that's about it," said Ukyo, "it's her only improvement. Everything else about her has gotten worse."

"Her strategy is still the same," said Mousse as he quickly cleaned and straightened his glasses, "it's the same thing with her; always acting without thinking."

"Even without heart," said Shampoo, "kitchen destroyer Akane is still kitchen destroyer Akane."

Just then Akane managed to punch Ranma hard on the face, knocking him to the floor. But he got back up before Akane could follow through on her attack. Ranma felt where Akane had punched him and realized that his face had been cut. He touched some of the blood on his fingers to his tongue, then spat it out.

"You're still the same as always, Akane," said Ranma defiantly, "always acting recklessly, regardless of who gets hurt, just as long as you get your way. Well not any more!"

"As if you could do anything to stop me, loser!" said Akane.

"I will stop you!" said Ranma with grim determination, "one way or another. That hot-head over there said that this was a death match, well, that's fine with me! You're nothing to me now! Not a fiancée, not a friend, not even a fellow martial artist! You're just a monster that needs to be destroyed!"

"I'll show you who's a monster!" shouted Akane as she rushed at Ranma, but he dodged her reckless attack.

He then rushed at Akane, "Take this! _Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken_!" he hit Akane hundreds of times, none of which were blocked, but she was still on her feet when the barrage of fists were finished.

"You can't beat me, Ranma!" snapped Akane, "I'll kill you!" she the rushed at Ranma and began punching and kicking at him.

"There's another thing that's changed about you," said Ranma as he blocked Akane's attacks, "becoming a Heartless has only made you dumber!" He then kicked Akane square in the face, but it barely made her blink.

"This is unbelievable, folks!" said Hank, "Both fighters have all but sworn to destroy each other, with the lives of thousands of innocent people on the line!"

"All we can do is watch and wait to see whom emerges alive," said Lisa.

"I think we've established the fact that Akane's not human anymore," said Hannah.

"What difference does that make?" Lisa asked, "one of those two are going to kill the other. Let's just hope Ranma wins."

"What difference will _that _make?" Hannah asked, "even though Akane's lost herself to the darkness, killing her won't get us out of this mess. Those two weirdos," she pointed at Hades and Ursula, "they can destroy us whenever they want."

"I never considered that," said Lisa in a sheepish tone.

"Well all we can hope for is a miracle," said Hannah, "and a big one at that."

"You'll get no arguments from me," said Hank.

* * *

"This could go on for a long time," said a bored Ursula. The fight had established a pattern; Akane would recklessly attack Ranma and he would either block or evade the attack. He would then use a more thought-out attack, but Akane's sheer stubborness and new dark nature gave her a new level of defense, rendering Ranma's attacks nearly ineffective.

Ursula glared at Hades, "why didn't you put a time limit on the match?"

"Now why would I do that?" Hades asked.

"Oh never mind!" said a disgruntled Ursula, "let's just make things more interesting, shall we?"

With a snap of her fingers (insert finger-snapping sound) six Neo Shadows appeared in the ring and closed in on Ranma,

"No!" protested Sora, "That's unfair!"

"You can't summon Heartless into a match!" said Riku.

"I'm sure this is against the tournament rules," said Aiden, "and if it isn't, then it should be."

"It's our tournament now, punk!" said Hades, "deal with it!"

"I don't think your changing the rules will make any difference," said Kairi.

Sure enough, Ranma and destroyed the six Neo Shadows and was back to his fight with Akane. "I'm used to dealing with multiple opponents," he said, "a bunch of Heartless won't make a difference."

"I totally called it!" said Kairi.

"Not make a difference?" Ursula asked, "too easy for you, is it? Well then, how about this?" she summoned six more Neo Shadows, then another six.

"This is insane!" said Lisa, "not only is Ranma being forced to fight the supercharged Akane, he also has to fight these…these…things!"

"They're called Heartless," said Hannah.

"How'd you know that?" Lisa asked as she suspiciously looked at Hannah.

"That's another long story," said Hannah.

"You're just full of long stories today," said Hank.

"It's a weird day," said Hannah, "go figure."

"I've had enough!" said Riku. He glared at Hades and Ursula, "if you're going to screw up the rules, then so am I! Ranma! I'm coming to help, whether you want it or not!" he summoned his Keyblade and jumped into the ring. He then destroyed three of the Neo Shadows and moved next to Ranma.

"Thanks," said Ranma as he and Riku stood back to back, "think you can keep these creeps off of me while I deal with the un-cute monster?"

"Not a problem!" said Riku as he beheaded another Neo Shadow.

"You're all perverts!" snapped Akane. She picked up two Neo Shadows and threw them at Ranma and Riku.

"That's so like you, Akane!" said Ranma as he kicked and destroyed the Neo Shadow flying towards him, while Riku stabbed the one coming at him, "if something's in your way, you indiscriminately smash it aside!"

"Shut up!" spat Akane as she threw another Neo Shadow at him

"No!" shouted Ranma as he dodged the incoming Heartless, "You can't push me around any more, Akane! No one can, not any more!" He then crossed his arms and began channeling energy into his hands.

"Ki energy," said Sora, "like Ryoga's Shishi Hokodon.

"But it's not like what Ryoga did," said Kairi, "I can tell that Ranma's not using negative emotions, not depression. It's positive, like confidence."

"But is Ranma's confidence strong enough to defeat Akane?" Sora asked.

As if to answer, Ranma held out his arms with his fists closed, "_Moko Takabisha_!" and shot a massive Ki blast at Akane.

**Moko Takabisa=Pride of the Fierce Tiger**

The blast hit Akane full force and knocked her to the floor. The audience went wild.

"And Akane Tendo is down!" shouted Hank, "Ranma just unleashed a massive energy blast that completely devastated his inhuman opponent!"

"But is it over?" Lisa asked.

"I hope so," said Hannah.

But then Akane got back up, looking like she had just been plowed through the dirt, but still able to fight, and still very angry.

"Ranma, you jerk!" spat Akane as more dark energy surrounded her body. The darkness then condensed into her hands, "die!" Akane then shot a massive blast of dark energy at Ranma. He barely dodged it, but the blast hit part of the arena and nearly killed several people in the audience. Fortunately, nobody died.

At that Ursula laughed, "oh, so close," she looked at Akane, "next time, don't be so reckless. If you're going to try to murder some innocent bystanders, make sure to aim for them properly."

"I was aiming for Ranma!" said Akane, "I won't miss again!"

"I won't give you the chance!" said Ranma as he ran up to Akane and punched her in the face. She took the punch like it was nothing, then punched at Ranma, which he barely dodged, then rolled to the side to avoid a kick to the head.

"That does it!" said Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade and jumped onto the ring, "Screw you, Hades! I'm helping Ranma whether you like it or not!"

Aiden aimed his Keyblade at Akane and shot a beam of alchemic energy at her. The blast changed the air around her head into acid, but she shrugged it off like it was water vapor.

"My turn!" said Kairi. She jumped onto the ring and summoned her Keyblade and attacked Akane, scoring several hits that apparently did little damage.

"Let's go!" shouted Sora as he summoned his Keyblade and jumped onto the ring. He then blasted Akane with Fire, Thunder and Blizzard spells. These finally managed to hurt her.

"My turn again!" shouted Ranma as he charged up his Ki again, "_Moko Takabisha_!" he shot the Ki blast at Akane. The blast smashed into her face and knocked her to the ground.

"Oh, you meddling brats!" snapped Hades, "okay then, you want to play hard?" his skin and hair flared bright red with rage, "let's play hard!" He then threw a pair of fireballs at Sora, then another pair at Kairi, then shot a stream of flames at Riku, then at Aiden.

The four Keyblade Wielders managed to dodge the flames, but the fire instead headed towards the audience. Those caught in the line of fire managed to get out of the way, but the audience was beginning to panic again.

"This is terrible, people," said Lisa, "at this rate, the baddies won't have to kill everyone in the arena; the audience will do it for them. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets so scared that they'll become an out of control mob!"

"I think that's what the baddies are hoping for," said Jake.

"What can we do to stop this?" Oliver asked, "I can't believe that there's nothing we can do. There has to be something."

"But what?" Lilly asked.

As if acting on instinct, Miley stood up, grabbed her microphone and turned up the volume as high as it would go.

"Everyone! Listen to me!" said Hannah,her voice resonating through the arena loudspeakers, "I know things are scary right now, and it seems hopeless. I know that it'd be easy to give up and panic, to give in to fear and despair. But there's still hope! There's always hope! Just believe that everything will be alright and it will be alright!"

Her words seemed to have a claming effect on the people in the audience. They heard her and their fear began to subside.

"Are you sensing what I'm sensing?" Sora asked Kairi.

"It's her voice," said Kairi, "Miley's voice, that's definitely where her power is."

"Believe that everything will be alright!" said Hannah as her body began glowing with her inner light, a light that radiated hope and love, "believe and all will be well!"

Someone in the audience shouted "We believe, Hannah!" Soon others began shouting those words, then more and more. Soon the entire audience was chanting "We believe! We believe! We believe!"

The positive atmosphere generated by Hannah and the audience seemed to have some sort of negative effect on Akane, for she shrieked in rage. "Shut up! All of you!" she threw a dark sphere at the audience, but it dissipated into nothing before it reached any innocents.

"Well, this is unexpected," said Hades in an annoyed tone, "that blond diva over there is giving hope and courage to these people, and that's weakening our new pet."

"Well, we can't have that," said Ursula, "can we?" she then summoned more Neo Shadows, "destroy the diva!"

The Neo Shadows rushed towards Hannah, but Adam, Ryoga and the other martial artists stood between her and the attacking Heartless.

"We'll take care of these creapazoids, Hannah!" said Ukyo as she and the others assumed their fighting stances. Ukyo winked at Miley, then the twelve fighters attacked the Neo Shadows. Within seconds the offending Heartless were destroyed.

"I hope you all just saw that, folks!" said Hank, "several of those things, those Heartless, just tried to kill Hannah, but Adam Callahan, Ryoga Hibiki and the other martial artists saved her."

"Well that's what friends do," said Hannah, "they help each other out when they need help."

"Insufferable pests!" snapped Ursula, "just who the hell are they to interfere?"

"I don't know," said Hades as he charged up a massive fireball, "but they're about to get a rude awakening!" He threw the fireball at the twelve martial artists, but Ryoga knocked it back at Hades with his umbrella.

"Huh?" a confused Hades asked as he dissipated the incoming fireball with a wave of his hand, "how'd you do that, kid?"

"That umbrella is made of bamboo," said Ursula, "it should have gone up in smoke!"

"Goes to show you Villains don't know anything about using Ki," said Ryoga.

"Oh, Ki," said Hades, "I get it now. Guess I'll have to try something different then."

"We won't give you the chance!" shouted Kyle, "Get them!"

"I think not!" snapped Hades. He then summoned a wall of flames that encircled the martial artists.

"You think mere flames shall defeat the Blue Thunder!" shouted Tatewaki. He, Kodatchi, Shampoo, Mousse, Adam, Felicia, Kyle and Julia jumped over the fire, while Ukyo, Ian and the others were still trapped by the flames.

"Thou art a vile thing, demon god of the underworld!" said Tatewaki as he hefted his wooden sword, "I shall smite thee in the name of righteousness!"

"I'll just stop you before you hurt anyone!" said Mousse. From up his sleeves shot several steel chained-based weapons that hurtled towards Hades.

"I thought you weren't allowed to bring metal and edged weapons to the tournament!" said Felicia as she drew her sticks.

"These are my emergency weapons," said Mousse as he threw his chains and blades at the flame-haired god. "Always be ready for anything."

"Good point," said Felicia.

"Pathetic," said Hades as he melted the chains and weapons before they got close to him.

"You ain't a water buffalo," said Felicia, "but I think I can crack you like a freaking egg!" She rushed at Hades, but he teleported out of the way and blasted her with a fireball that knocked her out with a fireball, then knocked Mousse out with another fireball.

Adam and Shampoo jumped and aimed a double flying kick at the flame-haired god. Once again, Hades teleported out of the way and blasted and knocked them out them with fireballs.

"Have at thee!" shouted Tatewaki as he rushed headlong at Hades.

"Another pathetic loser," said Hades as he set fire to the male Kuno's sword. Tatewaki ignored the fact that his sword was on fire and still charged forward. He swung his burning sword at Hades, but once again the dark god teleported out of the way. He then blasted Tatewaki with a fireball that knocked him out.

Kodatchi then used her ribbon to ensnare Hades. "Ha!" shouted the younger of the Kuno siblings, "let's see you teleport now!" with her free hand she threw a red gymnastic ball at Hades. The ball exploded on contact, producing a small cloud of poison dust.

At that Kodatchi laughed triumphantly, "You'll be unable to breathe in seconds," she said, "so I suggest you surrender if you wish for me to give you the antidote."

"What for?" Hades asked as he ignored the cloud of poisoned dust around his head and burned the ribbon from his body, "I'm immortal, no human poison can hurt me!" he then blasted Kodatchi with a fireball, then for good measure blasted Julia and Kyle, all of them knocked out.

"That takes care of that," said Hades as he dusted his hands off.

"Are you sure?" Ursula asked as she summoned more Heartless to fight Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, while also keeping an eye on Akane as she continued to fight Ranma.

"No problem," said Hades as he walked past Ryoga, Jean-Louise, Ukyo and Ian, who were still trapped by the wall of flames.

"Just remember the limit!" said Ursula, "Maleficent's little whammy stops us from taking more than twenty paces from each other."

"That's why I'm taking large steps," said Hades as he did walk a little awkwardly but effectively extending the distance from him and Ursula. He soon reached the commentators table with plenty of room to spare. Seeing Hades approach the table, Lisa and Hank took cover, leaving Miley to stand alone before the wrathful god.

"Okay, little diva," said Hades as he glared at Hannah, "I'm still within twenty paces of the purple one, so you're about to receive a one-way ticket to the underworld!"

"I'm not a diva," said Hannah, "and you're not going to kill me!" she then spoke into the microphone, "these villains think they can just push us around, but they're nothing but bullies, and all bullies are nothing if you stand up to them!" The light from her heart then increased in brightness a bit, giving even more hope to the audience.

The audience was still chanting "We believe! We believe!"

"Oh please," said an annoyed Hades, "you think you can stop me with words?" he charged up a fireball, "you're the one who's nothing!"

"No!" shouted Jake as he got up and stood next to Hannah, "I won't let you hurt her!"

At that Hades laughed, "you're that kid who caught Happosai in that jar. Well that won't work on me! There ain't a jar in the universe strong enough to stop me when I'm all fired up!"

"I don't care about jars," said Jake, "I just know that if you want to kill Hannah, "you have to kill me first!"

"Same with us!" said Lola as she and Mike stood with Hannah. They were shortly followed by Jackson.

"What are you guys doing?" Miley whispered, "it's me that barbeque-head wants. Get out of here while you still can!"

"Are you kidding?" Oliver asked, "no way we're running away while you put yourself in danger."

"No way I'm letting my bestie die without me," said Lilly.

"And you know dad and the rest of the family would kill me if they hear I abandoned you," said Jackson. "We may really bug each other a lot, but you're still my sister, and I won't run away."

"Call us crazy, Miley," said Jake, "but we're with you on this till the bitter end."

At that Miley smiled, while a single tear of happiness fell from her eyes. She then glared at Hades, "give it your best shot, char-head! It won't do any good!"

"That's right!" said Jake, while Lilly, Oliver and Jackson nodded in agreement. Just then the light from Miley reached into the four of them and increased in luminance by several factors, as if Miley's light had joined with the light from Lilly, Oliver, Jackson and Jake.

"I never said it would do good," said Hades as he charged up a larger fireball, ignoring the intense light from the five teenagers "if your friends want to die with you, that's fine with me. The underworld is endless; the more the merrier."

"Bring it, ember-face!" said Lilly.

"I've been burned worse by firecrackers than anything you've got!" said Oliver.

"You want my best!" shouted Hades as he charged up a fireball ten feet wide, "I'll give you my best!"

"No!" said Kairi as she shoved a Neo Shadow aside, but another one got in her way, "we've got to help them!"

"I'd love to," said Aiden as he stabbed another Heartless, "but we're kinda busy here!"

"You'll never see your friends again, brats!" said Ursula as she summoned more and more Heartless into the ring, while Akane and Ranma still fought.

All along, Miley, Jake, Jackson, Oliver and Lilly stood their ground despite the encroaching doom before them.

"This is it," said Jackson, "lord, if you're ever going to hit us with a miracle, now's the time."

"Here it comes!" shouted Hades as he reared back for the throw.

"I love you, Miley," Jake whispered.

"I love you, Jake," Miley whispered.

"Die!" shouted Hades. But before he could throw, a knife that came out of nowhere flashed in front of his eyes and broke his concentration, causing the massive fireball to fade out of existence.

"What the…?" spat Hades, "who did that? Who threw that knife! I'm gonna roast him for dinner!"

As if to answer the question, a security guard with a maniacal expression on his face ran out of the audience and faced Hades with another knife in his hands.

"You bastard!" spat the security guard, "Hannah is mine! I won't let you hurt her! She's mine! Mine!"

"I'll bet this weirdo is the stalker," said Oliver.

"Oh sweet niblets!" said an exasperated Miley, "why now?"

"Don't worry, Hannah," said the maniac as he gave Miley a look of insane devotion, "I'll save you from all of this evil. Then we can be together, forever, like we were meant to be!"

"Hate to be a downer, my friend," said Hades, "but your girlfriend there, she's gotta die."

"No!" shouted the maniac, "I won't let you take Hannah from me!" he rushed at Hades and tried to stab the flame-haired god, but Hades merely melted the knife blade, so that the maniac was left with the handle.

"You done now, sparky?" Hades asked, "any more aggression you want to work out? 'Cause I've got a schedule to catch up on."

"As a matter of fact, I do have something else," said the maniac. He looked at Miley with insane desperation, "this was to be my gift to you, Hannah, my way of making sure we'd be together, no matter what!" he took of his security-guard jacket, revealing a vest covered with dozens of sticks of dynamite.

"That's a bomb," said a shocked Oliver, "that guy has a bomb! A bomb!"

"We know!" said Lilly, "it's right in front of us!"

The maniac took out from his pocket a remote detonator, "I was going to wait until the award ceremony, Hannah, before declaring my love for you in front of the whole world. It was supposed to be a romantic moment that would never be forgotten," he glared at Hades and Ursula, "but these monsters ruined everything! Now they and everyone else who wants to keep us apart has to pay!" he then armed the detonator, "They all have to pay!"

At that the audience began to panic again.

"An here I thought things were complicated enough," said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi and Aiden tried to get away from the throngs of Heartless Ursula kept summoning.

"Oh please," said an unimpressed Hades, "you really gonna blow yourself up, just for a tone deaf diva?"

"Hannah is not a diva!" snapped the maniac as he held up the detonator with his thumb above the button, "and she's not tone deaf. She's the most beautiful person in the world, with the most beautiful voice. But she's been treated terribly by those who don't deserve to live," he looked at Miley, "I tried to make up for the horrible things the media did to you, Hannah. I got rid of some of those filthy magazines who exploited you, and I made sure that several scumbag photographers never take another dirty picture again.

"I did it all for you, Hannah, and I want to do so much more. I want to take you away from all the horrible people in the world who want to hurt you. I want to keep you safe from all the rotten people who think they can use you for profit, from those who think they can spit on you and get away with it, and I want to keep you away from those who would break your heart."

"Oh," said a stunned and slightly confused Miley.

"Don't listen to this whack-job," said Jake, "he killed a man just for taking your picture!"

"He wanted to kidnap you in front of the whole world!" siad Lilly.

"And he's got a bomb!" said Oliver.

"A big bomb," said Jackson.

"I know," said Miley, "I'm just touched that he cares so much about me. I know he's crazy, but he does care." she walked forward to the maniac, ignoring the irate Hades.

"Who are you?" Miley asked, "what's your name?"

Hesitantly, as if not sure this was for real, the maniac spoke, "Evan, Evan Kramer." He relaxed slightly and lowered his arm with the detonator, while moving his thumb away from the button.

"Well now, Evan," said Miley, unsure of how to defuse the situation and relying on her instincts "I'm glad you care about me so much, but I'm not happy with the way you've shown your affection. I mean, isn't blowing up a bunch of magazine offices and stabbing some photographers a little extreme?"

"They were evil!" said Evan Kramer as he raised the detonator again, "they were scum dogs who only exist to exploit good people!"

"Okay! Okay, relax!" said Miley in a placating manner, "I know they were all paparazzi and tabloids creeps, and I'm sure some of them deserved what they got. But murder and arson isn't the answer, and neither is suicide."

"But I want to keep you safe," said Evan Kramer as he lowered the detonator again a bit.

"I know you do," said Miley, "but I've got a lot of good people who already have that job. I have friends and family who are ready to stand with me to the living end. They'll figure a way out of this mess so that nobody will get hurt." Part of her light went over to the maniac and entered his heart, which was corrupted by the darkness of insanity.

"But…" said Evan Kramer. The light of reason began to dawn on his face as he lowered the detonator a little more. His twisted heart began to untangle itself as Miley's light slowly drove the darkness in him away.

"Everything will be alright," said Miley, "I promise. Just put that down and everything will be alright."

"Oh shut up already!" snapped Hades. He glared at Miley, "let me tell you something, toots! In the end, nothing is ever alright! Now shut up so I can send you to the underworld!"

"NO!" shouted Evan Kramer as he raised the detonator again, all the while his inner darkness reasserted itself and forced Miley's light away from him, "I won't let you send Hannah to hell! I won't!"

"And just what are you going to do stop me?" Hades asked.

"I'll send her to heaven!" said Evan Kramer as his madness completely overcame him again, "I'll save her from hell by sending her to heaven! I'll save everyone in here from you by sending them all to heaven!"

"Don't!" said a frantic Miley, "please!"

"You crazy punk," said an exasperated Hades, "do you really think a bomb can destroy me?"

"If it doesn't," said Evan Kramer, "than at least you'll be unable to hurt Hannah."

"Don't do it," pleaded Miley, "Evan, please, don't!"

"We've got to stop him!" shouted Sora. He, Riku, Kairi and Aiden shoved aside the Heartless they were fighting and tried to reach Miley, but they knew that they would be too late.

"It's for the best, Hannah," said Evan Kramer, "I won't let you suffer at the hands of this monster! I may go to hell, but at least you'll be safe in heaven! Goodbye, Hannah!" his thumb pressed the button…

**To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10: The Final Match Part 2

Last time found Hades and Ursula invading the tournament with the now Heartless Akane. They forced Ranma to fight Akane to the death, which Ranma gladly obliged, saying that he felt nothing for Akane now. Being the Villains they were, Hades and Ursula brought in some Heartless to make the fight 'interesting.' Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden jumped in to hold off the unwanted Heartless. Miley, as Hannah unconsciously used her power as a Princess of Heart to keep the terrified audience from becoming an out of control mob. Outraged by Miley's interference, Hades tried to kill her. Adam, Ryoga and the other martial artists, now revealed to be the protectors selected by the FBI, did their best against the flaming god, but it wasn't enough. But then the maniac revealed himself and threatened to blow up the area with a vest bomb, if only to keep Hannah away from Hades. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 10: The Final Match Part 2**

"You crazy punk," said an exasperated Hades, "do you really think a bomb can destroy me?"

"If it doesn't," said Evan Kramer, "than at least you'll be unable to hurt Hannah."

"Don't do it," pleaded Miley, "Evan, please, don't!"

"We've got to stop him!" shouted Sora. He, Riku, Kairi and Aiden shoved aside the Heartless they were fighting and tried to reach Miley, but they knew that they would be too late.

"It's for the best, Hannah," said Evan Kramer, "I won't let you suffer at the hands of this monster! I may go to hell, but at least you'll be safe in heaven! Goodbye, Hannah!" his thumb pressed the button…

…and nothing happened.

"What?" a very confused Evan Kramer said as he pressed the button again, and again, and again.

"It won't work," said a singed but still standing strong Adam as he stood behind Evan Kramer with a red wire in his hands, "that detonator is useless unless the receiver is connected to the explosives."

"What?" Evan Kramer asked again while Jake, Lilly, Oliver and Jackson ran up to Miley.

An equally singed Shampoo bashed Evan in the head with one of her war clubs, knocking him out. "How Adam know to pull red wire?"

"It's always the red wire," said Felicia as she and Mousse, both singed but still standing strong, pulled the bomb vest off of Evan and pulled the wires out of all the dynamite sticks, just to be safe.

Just then Tatewaki, Kodatchi, Ryoga, Jean-Louise, Julia, Kyle and Ian appeared and circled Hades. They all looked burned, but still willing to fight.

"It'll take a lot more than some trumped-up party tricks to keep us from protecting our friend!" said Ryoga as he and the others assumed their fighting stances.

At that Hades laughed viciously, "oh that's just precious. You little pukes think you've got a chance against me. You can't be serious."

"Tell me, mate," said Julia as she seriously glared at the flaming god, "do we look like we're joking?"

At that Hades stopped laughing and looked at them seriously, "you're not joking."

"We're pretty freaking serious about this," said Felicia.

"_Mort sérieux_," said Jean-Louise, "dead serious."

"What a coincidence," said Hades as he summoned another fireball, "'cause that's what you're all about to be!"

From out of nowhere came a singed Ukyo. "Oh shut up already!" she shouted as she swung her giant metal spatula and bashed Hades in the head with it, smothering the flames on the dark gods' head.

"_Allez au diable_!" shouted Jean-Louise as she kicked Hades in the back, while Ryoga kicked Hades in the chest.

"Take this, hot stuff!" shouted Ian as he also kicked Hades in the chest, then grabbed the dark god by the arm and flipped him onto the floor. Kyle then jumped in and delivered a hard kick to Hades' side.

Hades then got back up, but was then hit in the face by a hard elbow jab from Julia. Tatewaki had another wooden sword in his hands and delivered several hard strikes across the dark god's body.

"And here is the finisher!" shouted Kodatchi as she twirled her ribbon above her head and used it to ensnare Hades by the neck, lifted him off the ground and slammed him headfirst into the side of the ring.

A dazed Hades then said, "thank you and goodnight, ladies and gentlemen; Hades has left the building."

With his concentration broken, the cursed flames blocking the exits vanished.

Miley, realizing that she wasn't going to die in a horrible explosion, spoke into the microphone, "everyone in the audience! I think it's okay to leave. Just move to the exits in a calm manner and everyone will be alright. Just keep calm and don't push."

Cautiously, the people in the audience. Amazingly, nobody panicked and within minutes the arena was free of innocents.

"That's one baddie down," said Adam as he, Kyle, Ian, Jean-Louise, Julia, Ryoga, Shampoo, Ukyo and the Kuno's looked down at the still dazed Hades, "and two to go."

"Make that just one!" said Mousse as he used his chains to ensnare Ursula and throw her out of the ring. She fell and hit the floor headfirst.

With Ursula's concentration broken, no more Heartless appeared in the ring, leaving Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden free to breathe.

"That was tense," said Sora.

"It's not over yet," said Riku.

"Ranma and Akane are still fighting," said Kairi.

"We've got to end this now," said Aiden, "before anyone else gets hurt."

"I don't think Ranma would appreciate it if we butted in," said Riku.

True enough, Ranma was so engrossed in his battle with the corrupted Akane that nothing could have broken his focus. But apparently his strategy of attacking and blocking had changed. Now Ranma was dodging all of Akane's attacks, while moving away from her in a circular pattern.

"Hold still, you jerk!" snapped Akane as she missed another punch at Ranma. She moved ahead, trying to get in range to attack, but Ranma kept moving back from her, always in a circular manner. "Hold still so I can kill you!"

"Not gonna happen, Akane!" said Ranma in an cold tone, "you couldn't beat me as a human, and you'll never beat me as a Heartless. No matter what you are on the outside, heart or no heart, on the inside you're still just a pathetic, un-cute, no tallent tomboy who can never find a husband!"

"Bastard!" raged Akane as she kept trying to attack Ranma, but he kept dodging and moving away.

"What's he doing?" Sora asked, "he's got Akane so riled up she can't see straight. I guess that's a good thing, but what's the point?"

"Ranma's got something planned," said Riku, "but what is it?"

"He's going to do it," said an astonished Ukyo, "Ranma's going for his ultimate attack."

"What ultimate attack?" Aiden asked.

"Just watch and see," said Ryoga, "it's awesome to watch."

"But it's a living hell to be caught in," said a slightly nervous Mousse, "if I were you guys," he said to Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "I'd get as far away from the ring as possible."

"That's a good idea!" said Ukyo. She then spoke to Miley, Jake, Lilly, Oliver and Jackson, "I'd take cover now, but that's just my humble opinion."

"You won't get any arguments from me!" said Lilly as she, Miley, Jake, Oliver and Jackson took cover by the commentators table, where Hank and Lisa had returned to their seats and were still broadcasting the match.

"I hope you're still with us, boys and girls!" said Hank, "after all that's happened, after having the tournament invaded by Villains and Heartless, after having Hannah Montana being threatened by the lord of the underworld himself, after nearly being blown to kingdom come by a bomb-wielding maniac, Ranma Saotome is still fighting his former fiancée to the death!"

"And we're still here!" said Lisa, "giving you all the gritty, blood-soaked details as they happen!"

"Oh just duck already!" said Miley as she pulled Hank and Lisa down.

"Just what's going to happen?" Sora asked as he, Riku, Kairi and Aiden took cover next to Adam and Shampoo.

"Ranma use special attack he learn after old pervert Happosai take away strength," said Shampoo, "Ranma no longer able to fight until he get paper with cure on it from old pervert. Great-grandmother teach Ranma technique that no need strength, just hot and cold Ki."

"Hot and cold Ki?" Aiden asked.

"I think I get it," said Riku as he looked up and saw that Ranma and Akane were moving in a tighter and tighter spiral movement. "Ranma's keeping a cool head, while Akane's so worked up it's a miracle she hasn't spontaneously combusted."

"And they're moving in a spiral," said Kairi as she also looked, "and the spiral is getting smaller and smaller."

"What does that mean?" Sora asked.

"What happens when hot air and cold air meet in the atmosphere?" Adam asked in a teaching manner, "you get a storm."

By now Ranma had reached the middle of the ring, the center of the spiral, with Akane one step behind him. He reached back and threw a punch, "Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

**Hiryu Shoten Ha=Heavenly Dragon Fist**

The cold force of Ranma's ki in his punch met the boiling-hot rage of Akane's ki and created a tornado-like blast that forced Akane into the air.

"Sweet Mama!" exclaimed Miley as she and the others ducked again to avoid the flying debris picked up by the tornado blast.

The indoor storm cleared up a few seconds later. Sora and the others emerged from cover in time to see Akane fall and hit the floor outside of the ring. She gasped in pain and passed out.

"Same old Akane," said Ranma as he stepped down from the ring, "always acting without thinking." He then saw that the referee was still there, "hey, does this mean I win?"

"Oh no you don't!" snapped Hades as he got up, "I said that this match was to the death! One of you brats has to die!"

"I think not," said Sora as he jumped over and held his Keyblade in front of Hades, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way, Hades. End this match now, or I'll end you! Remember, I beat you before, I can do it again."

"And this time he'll have us to help," said Kairi as she, Riku and Aiden held their Keyblades point first at Hades.

"Okay, you're serious about this," said a slightly nervous Hades, "but it's really out of my hands. Akane's Ursula's property, has been since the idiot signed that gold contract."

"You mean this?" Felicia asked as she picked up the contract that had Akane's name on it, which at some point had fallen out of Ursula's pocket.

"I got it," said Ryoga. He grabbed the contract and tried to rip it in half, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't even bend it.

"I got it," said Mousse as he pulled out a set of tin snips from his sleeves and tried to cut the contract, but the gold paper wound up breaking the shears.

"This thing's got some serious mojo about it," said Ukyo as Ryoga tried his Breaking Point technique on the contract, but to no avail, "evil mojo."

At that Ursula began cackling, despite the chains still holding her, "you poor, pathetic human! Nothing you or anyone else in this pathetic world can do will break the contract! Akane Tendo is mine, now and forever more!"

"I beg to differ!" said Felicia. She then placed Ursula in a submission hold that threatened to break the neck of the humanoid sea witch.

"One chance, purple lady!" said Felicia, "either break that freaking contract yourself, or you'll be sleeping with the fishes for real!"

"Never!" spat Ursula.

"It's your neck!" said Felicia as she applied more pressure to the hold she had on the humanoid sea witch.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ursula as the bones in her neck were on the verge of breaking, "Alright, I'll terminate the contract!"

"How do we know you won't pull a fast one?" Kairi asked, "you've proven that you can't be trusted."

"Believe me when I say that I'm in no position to break my word," said Ursula.

"She's got a point," said Felicia.

"Alright, Ursula," said Sora, "your life in exchange for Akane's heart. Deal?"

"Deal!" said Ursula, "now tell this muscle-bound wench to let me go!"

"Break the contract first," said Aiden, "and no tricks!"

"You Keyblade brats are really annoying," said Ursula. She then snapped her fingers (insert finger-snapping sound) and the gold contract broke in half lengthwise and lost it's sheen.

"It's done!" said Ursula, "now let me go!"

"She kept her part of the bargain, Felicia," said Kairi.

"Oh, alright," said a disappointed Felicia as she released Ursula, while Mousse released his chains from her.

"You miserable whore!" spat Ursula as she rubbed at her sore neck, "how dare you use such strength against me!"

"Well of course I'm that strong," said Felicia as she grinned eagerly, "I freaking wrestle water buffalo."

"Hey, isn't Akane supposed to wake up by now?" Ian asked. Sure enough, Akane was still unconscious.

At that Ursula began laughing again.

"What's so freaking funny?" Felicia asked.

"I'd like to know that myself," said Hades.

"You fools!" said Ursula, "you poor, pathetic fools!"

"I knew she had a fast one up her sleeve!" said Sora.

"I didn't sense any dark magic other than her breaking the contract," said Riku.

"Who cares?" Kyle asked, "she broke her word, so let's just kill her already!"

"I didn't use any tricks," said Ursula, "and I certainly didn't break my word, not just now that is. You should have looked at the contract before you demanded that I broke it."

Sora picked up the broken halves of the contract and read them, "what are you talking about, Ursula?"

"Read the fine print, boy," said Ursula, "you'll find a clause that says that if I choose to terminate the bargain and return Akane's heart, she _can _become human again, but only _if _she wishes to have her heart back. Judging from her still catatonic state, she wants her heart back like she wants yesterdays garbage!"

"You bitch!" spat Ryoga, "you evil, fat, purple cow!"

"Sea cow actually!" said Jean-Louise.

"Same thing in my book!" said Mousse as he ensnared Ursula with his chains again, then drew out from his sleeves another set of chains, but these ended in meat hooks.

"Stomp her guts!" exclaimed Ukyo as she hefted her giant spatula.

"And kick Hades' ass while we're at it!" said Ian.

"Shove pipe bombs up their arses!" said Kyle.

"I still have the dynamite," said Adam as he held up the bomb vest Evan Kramer had, "will that do?"

"Perfectly," said Kyle as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh, this doesn't look too good," said Hades as the martial artists closed in on him and Ursula.

"Got any hot ideas?" Ursula asked.

Just then there was a flash of green flames and Maleficent appeared.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

"Is that…?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah," said Sora, "that's her alright."

"The mistress of all evil herself," said Riku

"Stand back, you impudent fools!" shouted Maleficent as she shot several bolts of purple lighting at Ryoga, Adam and the other martial artists. They barely managed to get out of the way of the cursed bolts.

"Great timing, Maleficent darling," said Ursula, "now, if you could just get these horrible chains off of me. That four-eyed whelp is using Ki to make them unbreakable."

"And then could you take care of that blond diva over there?" Hades asked, pointing at Miley, "she's a real pain in the…"

"Silence!" exclaimed Maleficent as she blasted both Hades and Ursula with her dark lighting. The two Villains collapsed to the ground and writhed in agony.

"I thought they were all on the same side," a confused Aiden asked.

"They are," said Kairi, "but with Maleficent, you never can tell who'll be next on her hit list."

"You incompetent, idiotic, irresponsible imbeciles!" spat Maleficent as she continued to blast Hades and Ursula, "you nearly ruined everything!"

"We didn't do anything!" shouted Hades, "the brats didn't give us a chance!"

"We nearly had the game won!" said Ursula as the dark lighting broke the chains binding her, but still had her incapacitated, "and that blond bimbo dead!"

"That's precisely the point!" said Maleficent as she stopped her dark lighting, "you nearly killed a Princess of Heart! The magic that unlocks Kingdom Hearts was almost lost because of you!"

"She's a Princess of Heart?" Ursula asked as she and Hades got back up.

"Well let's grab the brat now while we have the chance!" said Hades.

"Silence!" spat Maleficent as more dark lighting crackled from her staff, "I've had enough of your bumbling. You will be punished for your failure, and this time your suffering shall indeed be legendary, even in the darkest level of hell!" With a wave of her staff, the two other Villains vanished in flashes of green fire.

"So it is true," said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi and Aiden hefted their Keyblades, "you're after the new Princesses of Heart!"

"We heard it from Rakel and Reddik," said Sora, "but now that you said it, it's definitely for real."

"Indeed it is," said Maleficent as she glared at Sora and the others, "and I will have them all once all seven are discovered. The day will come when the door to Kingdom Hearts shall be opened at my command, and I shall claim the dark power beyond those doors!"

The mistress of all evil then glared at Miley, "enjoy this small reprieve, Princess. One day, not today or tomorrow, but someday you shall be mine, you and your power to enrich other hearts with that horribly golden voice of yours."

"No!" said Jake, "I won't let you!"

"You'll have to go through us first!" said Lilly as she, Oliver, Jackson and Jake stood in front of Miley.

"And you'll have us to contend with us as well, foul sorceress!" said Tatewaki as he, Kodatchi, Mousse, Shampoo, Ryoga, Ukyo, Adam, Julia, Kyle, Felicia, Ian and Jean-Louise, stood in front of Lilly, Oliver, Jake and Jackson. They all glared at Maleficent defiantly, all of them ready for a fight.

"This world has its defenders, Maleficent," said Riku, "you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to make any more trouble here."

"And you've got us to deal with as well," said Sora, while Kairi and Aiden nodded in agreement."

"Another time then," said Maleficent. She then vanished in a flash of green flames.

"Okay," said Oliver, "That was weird."

"Weirder than being a teen pop-star," said Miley.

"Try hopping from one world to another," said Kairi, "now that's weird."

"So, is it over?" Lilly asked cautiously.

"Not just yet," said Ukyo, "Akane's still a vegetable."

"Ursula said that Akane can only become human if she wants her heart back," said Riku.

"Maybe she doesn't want it back," said Julia, "it's a distinct possibility."

They all walked over to the still unmoving Akane. The darkness surrounding her body was condensing around her, nearly covering her in blackness so thick she could barely be seen.

"What's happening to her?" Ranma asked.

"She's already lost her heart," said Riku, "now she's losing her sense of herself, her intelligence, and her will. It's only a matter of time before she becomes just another mindless Heartless."

"If she's lost her will to live," said Ukyo, "then we should give it back. I know she just tried to kill Ranma, but she wasn't herself."

"She just tried to kill Ranma just now!" said an exasperated Aiden, "why do you want to save her?"

"Because despite all her faults," said Tatewaki, "Akane Tendo doth be a good person at heart."

"Sure she's terrible at a lot of things," said Mousse, "and she usually acts without thinking."

"She's abusive and untrusting," said Kodatchi, "and a horrible cook to boot."

"And an uncute tomboy," said Ryoga, "but that's no excuse for her to just give up."

"Despite everything," said Ranma, "all the horrible things she's done and had done to her, she keeps trying. That's the one good thing about her, she tries."

"Then that's the key to saving her heart," said Kairi. She knelt down by Akane, "hey, Akane, don't let go of your humanity! There's still a light inside of your heart, a light that will never go out as long as you try to do better. Sure, things look bad now, but there's always the chance that tomorrow will be better. Just reach for tomorrow, reach out and take back your heart."

At that Akane opened her eyes, "Why?" she asked in a barely audible tone that spoke with hopelessness and despair, "why should I try? I'm a failure at everything. Ranma's right; I'm a pathetic, uncute tomboy who will never find a husband."

"Don't say that!" said Ryoga, "if there's one thing I've learned is that everyone is entitled to some happiness. Just because your life seems like crap now, doesn't mean it always will be like that."

"Just try to believe, Akane," said Ranma, "remember when Kuno made that stupid proclamation that no boy at school could date you unless he defeated you? Remember how angry that made you that you had to fight dozens of love-struck boys every day before you could get to class? Remember how pissed you were when you always got to class late because you had so many to fight?"

"I admit I was one of those love-struck fools," said Tatewaki, "and I doth be the one who made the proclamation."

"That's what Ranma just said," said Ukyo.

"And remember how pissed you were when I sabotaged your schools' gymnastic team?" Kodatchi asked, "and how determined you were to defeat me in order to redeem your school's honor?"

"And how enraged you got every time you saw one of us talking to Ranma?" Ukyo asked, "and how you blew your top when we tried to get him to marry us?"

"Akane very passionate about Ranma," said Shampoo, "about keeping Ranma for her."

"You keep saying that you hate me," said Ranma, "if that's true, then why did you always act so jealous whenever I was with another girl?"

At that Akane sat up, her face still full of hopeless despair, but she spoke with a much stronger tone, "because I'm a stupid girl who can't even tell her fiancé that she loved him! But I was fooling myself all the time. I never really loved you at all, Ranma, I just liked you. But it doesn't matter now! We're finished, Ranma, and I'm finished," she sighed, "and I'm glad it's finished."

"But what about your dad and your sisters?" Ranma asked, "I know Nabiki wouldn't really be that upset, except that she's be losing a money making asset. But what about Kasume and your dad? How messed up will they be if you become a Heartless for real?"

"They'll be fine without me," said Akane, "one less mouth to feed, one less waste of human life."

"This isn't working," said Riku, "just talking to her isn't going to save Akane from the darkness."

"We're open to suggestions," said Mousse.

Just then Miley blinked in surprise as an idea shot into her head, "I think I know what to do, but it all depends on how big of a Hannah fan Akane is."

"She's a huge fan," said Ranma, "but if you tried to get her to admit it, she'd deny it like the plague."

"Well if she likes Hannah, even in secret," said Miley, "then Hannah can save Akane's heart."

"How?" Jake asked.

"I don't know exactly," said Miley, "right now I'm acting on instinct, but my heart tells me that I have what it takes to save Akane's heart."

"It's worth a shot," said Oliver.

"We believe in you, Miley," said Lilly, while Jake, Sora, Ranma and the others nodded in agreement.

"Okay," said Miley, "here I go." she then got into character as Hannah, "okay, Akane, since you're so sure about giving up your humanity, I guess there'll be one less person who get's to enjoy the extra prize awarded to the top 32."

"What extra prize?" Kairi asked, "this is the first I've heard of this."

"Same with us," said Adam, while Ranma, Ryoga, Kyle and the others nodded in agreement.

"Is this your plan?" Jackson asked.

"Just trust me," said Miley, she then got back into Hannah and spoke to Akane, all the while her light shown from her heart and shot a beam at the darkness surrounding Akane, "I guess I forgot to tell ya'll at the party; everyone in the top 32 gets free tickets to my next concert."

"Say what!" exclaimed Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, the Kunos, Adam, Felicia, Kyle, Julia, Ian and Jean-Louise.

But Akane's reaction was much bigger. "Free Hannah Montana tickets!" she shouted, while Miley's light began to break up the darkness surrounding Akane's body. The darkness began to fade and her expression brightened noticeably.

"And backstage passes to boot," said Hannah as she smiled and sent more of her light to Akane, breaking up the darkness even further.

"Backstage passes!" said a visually improved Akane. The darkness was only a faint outline around her body now, while a small but definite light began to glow from her heart.

"But since you're going to be a Heartless soon," said Hannah in a disappointed tone, "I guess you won't want that last ticket after all."

"You'd better believe I want that ticket!" said an eagerly grinning Akane as the darkness completely vanished from her body, purged by Miley's light and the revived light in Akane's heart, "a free ticket and a backstage pass! I'm already there!"

"You're also already here," said Hannah a grinning as her light returned to her heart, "and you're alive, with your heart back where it belongs, right?"

Akane blinked in surprise as she held her hand on her heart and indeed felt it beating. "You're right, my heart is back!"

"She's alright again!" said Ukyo.

"Akane's alright!" said Ryoga.

"I am alright!" said Akane, "and…and…"

"And what?" Ranma asked cautiously.

"And…I'm happy!" said a smiling Akane, "for the first time in a long time, I'm truly happy!"

"How that happen?" Shampoo asked.

"I think it was Hannah's doing," said Jake, "that pale-eyed witch, Maleficent, she said that Hannah has the power to enrich people's hearts."

"That light that Hannah had," said Sora, "it helped give the audience courage."

"She did help everyone in the audience get over their fear and hopelessness," said Kairi, "I think what Hannah can do is turn fear into courage, despair into hope, rage into serenity, and hate into love."

"And restore people's hearts," said Ian.

"I feel like I've been given the chance to start my life over again," said Akane, "and for some reason, I'm not angry at all about being around men." she grabbed Ranma's hand and placed it on her shoulder, "I don't feel like I'm going to explode with rage any more. It's like a huge weight has been lifted from my mind, body and heart all at once."

"Maybe it was your inner darkness that caused you to hate men in the first place," said Aiden, "maybe it was some incident in your childhood that triggered your dislike of men in the first place, and the darkness in your heart only fueled that hate."

"Well I don't feel any hate in me any more," said Akane, "I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to, even cooking something that isn't toxic."

"You'll forgive us if we don't volunteer to taste your next concoction," said Kodatchi.

Just then Nodoka ran up to our heroes, "everyone managed to get outside safely. Are you all alright?"

"Everyone's fine, mom," said Ranma, "and some of us are better than others."

"Auntie Nodoka," said Akane in a serious tone, "I mean, Mrs. Saotome. I…I want to say how sorry I am on how I've treated Ranma," she looked at the boy in question, "I am sorry for the horrible way I've treated you."

"I'm also sorry for all the mean things I've said about you," said Ranma, "you're not an uncute tomboy, not any more."

"So, we're still friends?" Akane asked cautiously.

"Still friends," said Ranma. With that they both smiled and shook hands.

"How wonderful!" exclaimed Soun as he and Genma ran up to them, "you're together again! Now the wedding can go on after all!"

"The future of the Anything Goes Martial Arts is secure," said Genma.

"Oh good gods!" said an irate Aiden, "are you two idiots still at it?"

"What does it take to get you to get the message!" said an irate Kairi, "Ranma and Akane don't want to get married!"

"Don't waste your breath," said an annoyed Ranma, "I don't think any of you can knock some sense into these morons."

"I'd certainly like to try," said an irate Riku.

"Save a peace for me," said an irate Ryoga as he cracked his knuckles.

"Now that things are finally right with all of us," said Ukyo, "all that needs to be done to make things perfect is to stomp these dimwits guts!"

"I'd like to get a few hits in meself," said Kyle, "if you don't mind."

"Help yourself," said Mousse.

"Shampoo teach stupid old men lesson they never forget!" said the purple-haired Amazon..

"I shall smite the fools for their foolishness!" said Tatewaki.

"Wait," said Akane, "I want to try something." she then walked up to Soun and Genma, "daddy, Mr. Saotome, you've got to stop this, now. Ranma and I are just friends now. We're never going to get married, not now, not ever."

"You don't mean that, Akane," said Soun.

"She's just upset over what happened just now," said Genma.

"I'm perfectly fine," said Akane, "for the first time in a long time, I know exactly what I'm doing. Ranma took charge of his life, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now. If you're so worried about the future of the family style, then leave Ranma out of it. He said he'd start his own school, so I'll just take care of the Anything Goes Style myself."

"What?" said a confused Soun.

"You heard me," said Akane, "I'll take over the dojo myself when we get back to Tokyo. I'll teach and manage the school myself, and I think I'll do a much better job than you have been, daddy."

"She would make a great dojo master," said Ranma.

"But…but…but…" said both Soun and Genma as they tried to find some means to justify their children marrying.

"Just let it go, Genma," said Nodoka, "you too, Soun. Your children are no longer under your thumbs."

"But…who will take care of us in our old age if you two don't get married?" Soun asked as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Well maybe if you two actually _worked _for a change," said Nodoka, "instead of sitting around on your behinds and playing shogi all day, you'd find all sorts of investment opportunities that would ensure you'd be supported in your dotage."

"And there's still Kasumi," said Akane, "she's got Dr. Tofu, the chiropractor, as a beau. Get them to marry."

"And tell Nabiki to get a freaking job already," said Ranma, "with her cunning and ruthlessness, she'd be running her own international corporation in no time."

"Oh," said both Soun and Genma in astonished tones, as if these ideas never occurred to them in the first place.

"I'll just take them back to the hotel now," said Nodoka, "before they start acting stupid again," she then lead Soun and Genma towards the door, "I'll meet up with you all later."

"Your mom is awesome, Ranma," said Oliver.

"Amazing," said Kyle.

"_Fantastique_," said Jean-Louise.

"Smashing," said Julia.

"One in a million," said Miley.

"Speaking of one in a million," said Adam, "I think we all have a lot to talk about."

"That's right," said Felicia, "we all were in Aiden's vision of Mi…I mean, his vision of Hannah."

"The twelve of us are supposed to protect her," said Mousse, "and we did that."

"But it's not over," said Ukyo.

"That witch, Maleficent," said Ian, "she'll be back someday."

"Or something else could come along and threaten our Princess," said Kodatchi.

"In which case we will have to make ensure we will always be ready to do our duty," said Tatewaki. He then bowed to Miley, "I hereby swear on my life and my love of it that I will always be ready to defend thy life, Princess Hannah. My sword and all my prowess are yours to command"

"As are all my abilities as a martial artist and as a human being," said Adam as he also bowed, "I swear to defend you from the darkness in whatever form it takes."

One by one the other martial artists who were in Aiden's vision swore similar oaths to Miley.

"Wow," she said after all the promises were made, "I…I don't know what to say."

"'Thanks' would be nice," said Robbie Ray as he walked up.

"I take it you heard everything that happened," said Jake.

"Oh you'd better believe it that I heard," said Robbie Ray, "and from what I heard," he looked at Miley, "someone has been a little careless with a certain secret."

"They're friends, daddy," said Miley, "and I trust them with my life. They did save it tonight after all."

"Just let it go, Mr. Stewart," said Oliver, "things are out of your hands."

"Well I don't have to like it," said Robbie Ray, "I mean, it's bad enough that my daughter is a pop superstar, but now she's some kind of princess?"

"Stranger things have happened," said Sora.

"He's your father?" a confused Akane said to Miley.

"Long story," said Miley, as Hannah.

Just then Violet, Elaine and Quincy, as well as Travis and Rebecca, ran up.

"Just what in the world happened here tonight?" a slightly distraught Violet asked, "the tournament's been ruined all because of a bunch of weirdoes from another dimension."

"I thought we had the arena secured from such incursions," said Elaine, "we employed the best psychic protection we could find."

"And we had our own psychics as well," said Travis.

"The FBI and the Heartstone Foundation both have psychics?" Lilly asked.

"We haven't been completely honest with you," said Rebecca, "Not only do Agent Bachman and I work for the FBI, but we're also operatives in a very special investigative organization that guards the world against things like what happened here tonight."

"And the Heartstone Foundation is a part of that organization," said Quincy, "we are The Watchtower Initiative. Our mission is to keep a watch for supernatural threats to the human race and to prevent those threats from coming to fruition," he sighed, "but we did not see this coming at all."

"Villains like Hades, Ursula, and especially Maleficent are not what you call predictable," said Riku, "and with The Heartless involved, anything is possible."

"We'll have to expand our horizons then," said Violet. She then looked at Miley, "and if there's anything we can do to make sure that you, Princess of Heart Miley Stewart, are safe, just let us know."

"Your real name is Miley Stewart?" a confused Akane asked.

"Need to know, Akane," said Ryoga, "need to know."

"What about that maniac with the bomb?" Jake asked, "The one that's been stalking Hannah?"

"We've got him locked up in the arena security room and later he'll go to a secure cell at the mental ward of the local hospital," said Travis, "it looks like the maniac, Evan Kramer, has a really bad case of erotomania."

"Erotomania?" Miley asked.

"It's a form of delusional psychosis," said Rebecca, "where the patient has an irrational belief that someone he idolizes is in love with him, you in this case."

"It seems that Evan's been getting 'messages' from you in your music," said Travis, "he believes that you are singing only for him. He's so wrapped up in his delusions that he would do anything for you, even blow up an entire arena full of innocent people."

"Oh, like that crazy guy who tried to kill Ronald Regan because he thought it would impress Jodie Foster," said Robbie Ray.

"And like Glen Close's character in Fatal Attraction," said Jake.

"Exactly," said Travis.

"So, what's going to happen to Evan?" Miley asked, "I know he's one sick puppy who did a lot of terrible things, but he did try to protect me tonight, in a really messed up way."

"The only thing that can be done for him is to try to cure him of his delusions," said Rebecca, "with the right therapy and anti-psychotic medication, in time he could be a rational member of society again. But then there's the problem of his crimes. If he's ever declared fit to stand trial, Evan Kramer could spend the rest of his life behind bars for murder, attempted murder, arson and harassment."

"I'll drop the harassment charges," said Miley, "this guy's life is messed up as it is, I don't want to make things worse."

"We'll see what can be done," said Travis.

"Well, this has been exciting," said a yawning Jackson, "but right now I'm ready to crash for the night."

"I'm ready to pass out too," said Felicia.

"I could sleep for a week," said Mousse.

"We're all tired," said Riku, "so maybe it's best we all called it quits for today."

"That's a good idea," said Adam. He looked at Miley, "when we're all rested, we'll make plans for your protection."

"I'd like to be apart of this here meeting," said Robbie Ray, "I am her father after all."

"And I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Stewart," said Adam as he eagerly shook Robbie Ray's hand, "you know, my sister is a huge fan; she absolutely adores your music."

"You don't say," said Robbie Ray.

"I'm serious," said Adam, "she has all your albums on vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3, and she has nearly all of your concerts on DVD, VHS and Beta."

"Well don't that beat all," said an impressed Robbie Ray, "on Beta as well?"

"MY sister is one of those freaks of nature who's obessed with vintage technology," said Adam.

"This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship," said Kyle.

"You may be right," said Ian.

Everyone then said their goodnights and left the arena in their separate vehicles.

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden were among the last to wait for their car that would take them back to their hotel.

"Well, this has been one wild adventure," said Aiden.

"We saved the world and discovered a new Princess of Heart," said Kairi, "and made a whole lot of friends in the process."

"And helped those friends," said Sora.

_:You ain't kidding,: _said Roxas.

_:Where have you been?: _Sora asked,

_:Where I always am!:_ said an exasperated Roxas, _:I kept my mouth shut tonight because I didn't want to distract you.:_

_:Same with me,: _said Naminé, _:things got so tense back there, I was holding my breath in anticipation.:_

"Well you can hold your breath for as long as you want," said Kairi aloud, "I'm the one with the lungs here."

"One of these days I'm going to learn how to talk like you can," said Riku.

"It's really annoying when your friends have private conversations when they're standing right in front of you," said Aiden.

"Sorry about that," said Sora.

"I'm not mad at you," said Aiden, "what's irking me is that Riku and Ranma never got to fight."

"Now we'll have to wait for another tournament before we see who's the better," said Kairi.

"We could spar any time you want," said Ranma as he walked up to our heroes, "it's not like I've got anything else to do."

"I thought you'd be going back to your hotel with the others," said Sora.

"I decided to walk back," said Ranma, "the weather's nice out, and I've got a lot to think about. For the first time in my life, I'm free to make my own decisions, and now that I can, I honestly don't know what to do with myself."

"Didn't you say that you would start your own martial arts school?" Riku asked.

"I was kinda blowing off steam at the time," said Ranma, "I was really mad at pops and Mr. Tendo, I just said that to get them to shut up. But now that Akane's got the whole future of the schools under control, I've realized that having my own school isn't what I want at all, not now anyway."

"So what are you going to do now?" Sora asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," said Ranma, "I don't want to move back in with Akane and the other Tendo's. Things were uncomfortable enough when Akane and I were engaged. Now that we're friends, things would just be weird. I guess I could move in with my mom, but that doesn't seem right to me, now that I'm finally independent. And no way am I taking a trip around the world to clear my head. No thanks, I did enough traveling when I was with pops.

"I could stay here in America with Ryoga, Ucchan and the others, but they've got their responsibilities protecting Miley," he looked at Aiden, "are you sure you didn't see me in that vision of yours?"

"Positive," said Aiden, "I can see the stain glass window I saw Miley's face on clearly now. You're not on it. Just Miley, surrounded by Jake, Lilly, Oliver and Jackson, and they're surrounded by Adam, Ryoga and the others."

"That's something I was wondering about," said Ranma, "I get that the fighters were in your vision, but why Lilly, Oliver, Jake and Jackson? What's their part in this?"

"We think it's because those four are those who love Miley a lot," said Kairi, "and she loves back, even her brother."

"But if that's right," said Riku, "why wasn't her father in the vision?"

"I would have remembered if Robbie Ray was in the picture," said Aiden.

"Maybe it's because they're close to Miley's age," said Sora, "and maybe it's their love for her and her love for them that makes them all special."

"Maybe it has something to do with her power," said Kairi, "we can only wait and see how things turn out."

"Which leaves me right back where I started," said Ranma, "unsure about what I'm going to do with my life now that it's mine."

"I just had a crazy and awesome idea," said Sora, "you could come with us."

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked.

"You could come with us to our town," said Sora, "for now that is, and when we have to go to other worlds to fight The Heartless, you could come along as well, just for a while, just to see if you like it."

"You are pretty strong against The Heartless," said Riku, "even without a Keyblade. Maybe fighting The Heartless is what you're meant to do with your life. It couldn't hurt for you to try it out."

"And who knows?" said Kairi, "maybe you'll figure out what to do with your life when you're traveling from one world to another."

"Strange things happen when visiting other worlds," said Aiden, "finding your destiny is just one of them."

Ranma stood there in a thoughtful manner for a moment. "You really want me to go with you?"

"We wouldn't be friends if we didn't make the offer," said Sora, "you're more than welcome. But I have to warn you, some of the people we know out there are kinda weird."

"If they're as weird as I am," said Ranma, "I can handle it." As if to prove his point, it started raining, and within seconds the cold water had turned Ranma into Ranma-Chan.

"I guess having a curse that turns you into a girl can desensitize you against weirdness," said Aiden.

"Now I've got an idea!" said Kairi, "maybe there's a way to cure Ranma's curse out there among the worlds."

"Of course!" said Sora, "if anyone can cure Ranma, it's either The King, Yen Sid or Merlin, or maybe all three."

"You really think there's a cure out there?" Ranma-Chan asked in a hesitant tone, as if barely daring to hope. "I've been trying to get a cure for a long time and every time I just get mud thrown in my face."

"It couldn't hurt to try," said Riku.

"Okay, you've convinced me," said Ranma-chan, "soon as I clear it with mom, I'm going with you."

"Awesome!" said Sora, "as soon as we get back to our home, we'll open a portal to Disney Castle and introduce you to King Mickey and the others."

"Sounds great," said Ranma-chan, "but before we go, just how weird are your friends, anyway?"

"Well," said Sora, "Donald is a short-tempered wizard, who's also a duck, and Goofy is…well…Goofy. Oh, and The King, he's a mouse."

"A mouse," said Ranma-chan, "I can handle that."

"You're taking this whole talking animal thing rather well," said Aiden, "I nearly freaked out when I met Donald and Goofy for the first time."

"When you've done as much crazy stuff as I have," said Ranma-chan, "you get use to craziness in general."

"Good point," said Riku.

:_I think Ranma is going to be alright,: _said Naminé.

_:What makes you say that?: _Kairi asked.

_:Just a hunch,: _said Naminé.

* * *

"Well, this has been a night to remember," said Oliver once he, Lilly, Miley, Jackson, Jake and Robbie Ray were back at the Stewart residence in Malibu.

"You ain't kidding," said Lilly.

"Makes you wonder if there's anything else that can top tonight," said Jake.

"Oh please," said an exasperated Jackson, "can we just call it a day already? The last thing I want is any more maniacs and crazy bad guys trying to kill us."

"Sorry to be a downer, big brother," said Miley, "but tonight was just the beginning."

"She's right," said Jake, "that witch, Maleficent, she's going to come back someday for Miley, and who knows what else will try to get her?"

He then looked at Miley, "but I won't let anything happen to you, Miley Stewart. I know we've had a lot of ups and downs in the past, and I know your friends and family don't like me that much."

"I think you're okay," said Jackson.

"Well that's just you," said Jake.

"You're alright in my book," said Oliver.

"The way you stood up to all those creeps tonight," said Lilly, "and the way you pulled that fast one on that old pervert at the party," she laughed, "awesome."

"Well then," said Jake, "I guess the only problem is your dad, Miley."

"Just make sure she's home by curfew and in one piece," said Robbie Ray, "that's all I ask."

"Then there's no problem," said Miley, "now, Jake, are you going to talk for the rest of the night? Or are you going to…"

"Say no more," said Jake. With that he and Miley kissed passionately.

"Well," sighed Robbie Ray, "guess there's no arguing with that."

"Ya think?" said Lilly, Oliver and Jackson.

**The end of chapter 10.**

But it's not over yet, fellow readers and writers. There's still a few lose ends to tie up, so stay tuned!


	11. Epilog: Forging New Paths

Last time found our heroes turning the tables on the baddies. First, Adam disarmed the bomb which the maniac threatened to kill everyone in the arena. Then the other martial artists defeated Hades, while Sora and the others took care of Ursula. Ranma then defeated the Akane Heartless, while Sora and the others forced Ursula to give Akane back her heart. But then Ursula revealed that Akane can't have her heart back until she wants it back. It took everything our heroes had to try to convince Akane that she had a reason to live, but it was Miley, as Hannah, who helped Akane get her heart back.

The Tournament was declared a draw between Riku and Ranma, leaving things to be decided later. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Epilog: Forging New Paths**

The next morning our heroes, with their bags packed and their heads full of memories they would never forget, prepared to leave L.A. and return home to Destiny Islands, with one extra person with them.

"So, we'll go to the other worlds once we're back at your hometown?" Ranma asked as they arrived at the airport.

"Actually," said Riku, "We could go to Disney Castle right now. But it'd be easier to do it back on the islands."

"Something about having a familiar place to open the portal," said Sora.

"Oh, okay," said Ranma as they headed for their flight terminal, "I can wait."

"Believe me," said Aiden, "it'll be worth the wait. First time I traveled to another world, it blew my mind."

"I thought you handled traveling rather well," said Kairi.

"On the outside I was calm and collected," said Aiden, "But on the inside, I was on the verge of freaking out."

"Well I'm glad you pulled yourself together on the inside," said Sora.

Just then they heard several people running towards them. Sora and the others saw Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and the Kuno's running to catch up with them.

"Oh," said Ranma, "I guess I should have told them that I was leaving."

"That would make things complicated," said Riku.

The six from Nermia then caught up with Ranma, "would thou care to explain, Saotome," said Tatewaki, "why thee had simply packed thy belongings and abandoned thy companions so abruptly?"

"Uh, yeah," said Ranma, "sorry about that."

"And here I thought you had changed, Ranma," said an overly depressed Kodatchi, "as if you didn't care for our new friendship."

"I do care," said Ranma. "It's just that, now that I've finally gotten my life under control, I just feel like I needed to expand my horizons." He then explained his decision to go with Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden.

"So that's it," said Ranma to Ryoga, Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and the Kuno's, "I'm going with Sora and the others on their travels."

"You're leaving so soon?" Ukyo asked, "just after we all finally like each other."

"Saotome must do as he sees fit," said Tatewaki, "now that his fate is in his hands."

"That's probably the smartest thing you've ever said, Kuno," said Ranma.

"You'll get no arguments from me," said Ryoga.

"It still doesn't seem right or you to just leave like that," said Mousse, "I mean, at least give us a chance to make up for all the horrible things we did to you."

"As far as I'm concerned," said Ranma, "everything's been forgiven and forgotten. Holding a grudge never did anyone any good," he looked at Ryoga, "right?"

"You said it," said Ryoga, "now that I don't want to kill you all the time, I feel like a new person." He then blinked in surprise, "Oh man! I never told Akane?"

"That you little pig she keeps for pet?" Shampoo asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Ukyo, "I mean, Akane's finally gotten her head straight. The last thing she needs to learn is that her beloved pet is actually a human being."

"She'd probably kill me out of humiliation if she ever learned the truth," said Ryoga, "I guess that's one secret that should stay a secret."

"You know," said Mousse, "since she got her head and heart cleaned up, I didn't hear Akane even mention P-Chan at all."

"Maybe it had something to do with her heart full of darkness," said Riku, "maybe on some level, P-Chan was more than just a pet. Maybe he was an emotional anchor."

"You mean I was like a security blanket to her?" Ryoga asked in a slightly offended tone, "well I'm glad I'm over Akane."

"From what I hear," said Kairi, "you're all completely over your respective crushes."

"You'd better believe it," said Kodatchi, "Despite my never-ending affections for Ranma, my heart has found it's soul mate in the form of Kyle O'Harra," she sighed happily, "who would have thought that The Black Rose would find true love with a man from The Emerald Island."

"And who would think that The Blue Thunder would find love with a maiden from Down Under," said Tatewaki.

"So it's true that you and Julia are an item now?" Aiden asked.

"And I'm with Jean-Louise now," said Ryoga.

"You already know that I'm with Felicia," said Mousse, "and that Shampoo is with Adam."

"And as for me," said Ukyo, "I've defiantly taken an interest in Ian Donovan."

"Looks like everything's working out for the best," said Sora.

"Just about," said Ryoga, "we're all staying here in L.A, us and our respective soul mates."

"And we'll be close to Miley," said Ukyo, "now that we've realized that we're supposed to protect her."

Just then Adam, Jean-Louise, Ian, Felicia, Kyle and Julia ran up.

"You blokes didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye to us first," said Julia, "did you?"

"Like we could get away with it," said Aiden, "So you guys are all staying to protect Miley."

"We were all in your vision," said Adam, "we'd be poor protectors if we didn't stay close to our Princess."

"And if that bitch Maleficent or anything else evil comes to try and hurt Miley," said Ian, "They'll have to go through all of us first, The Neon Knights."

"Neon Knights?" Kairi asked.

"Well if we're going to be a team protecting a Princess," said Adam, "it's only natural that we should have a chivalric-sounding team name."

"And you named yourself after a Black Sabbath song?" Riku asked.

"It's the only one we could agree on," said Kodatchi.

"It was either that," said Mousse as he glared at Adam, "or 'Scum-Dogs of the Universe.'"

"Gwar is just as cool as Black Sabbath," said Adam as he stubbornly crossed his arms, "but yes, Neon Knights is a better name. And by the way, Mousse, I'm over here."

Mousse then remembered to put his glasses on and realized he was talking to a restaurant add on the wall.

"First chance we get," said Felicia, "we're getting you laser surgery for your eyes. If we're going to be an item, I won't have you making a freaking fool of yourself on a regular basis."

"Whatever you say, dear," said Mousse.

"Oh, that reminds me," said Julia. She then pulled out her cell phone and hit a speed dial number, "We're all here. The coast is clear," and hung up.

"What's that all about?" Aiden asked.

"Someone rather special wants to say goodbye," said Adam, "and we wanted to make sure things were safe first."

"For crying out loud," said Miley as she walked up to our heroes, "we're in an airport. You know how much security they have in one of these places these days?"

"You never can tell when evil may strike in one form or another," said Ian. He looked at Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden, "we tried to convince Miley to come as," he then whispered, "Hannah," then spoke in a normal tone, "and call the airport security to say that she was coming."

"They'd probably bring in enough extra guards to occupy a city," said Mousse.

"That's the last thing I need," said an exasperated Miley, "not only do I still have to be Hannah on stage, I also have to be Hannah, Princess of Heart, while still living a normal life as Miley Stewart. Having an army of guards is just too much."

"Miley worth it," said Shampoo, "Miley worth keeping safe."

"Just because those Villains left yesterday," said Kyle, "doesn't mean that they'll stay gone. For all we know they may attack now."

"No, Maleficent would have used everything she had yesterday," said Riku, "if she really wanted Miley. No, things are different now."

"Didn't she say she wanted to wait when she blasted Hades and Ursula?" Sora asked.

"They're waiting until all seven of the new Princesses of Heart are found," said Aiden, "which means they're waiting for me to find them. They're probably eavesdropping on us right now."

_:First chance we get,: _said Sora to Kairi, _:we're learning how to disrupt magical eavesdropping.:_

_:I'll ask The King about it when we see him,: _said Kairi.

Just then Akane showed up. "Ranma, is it true?" she asked, "are you leaving for good?"

"I don't know," said Ranma, "I'm going with Sora and the others so I can figure out what to do with my life. I hope I'll come back someday, but if I find what I'm looking for out there among the worlds, I'll stay there."

"Oh," said Akane, "well, if you do find what you're looking for and decide to stay, will you at least come and visit once in a while?"

"Of course I'll visit," said Ranma, "you're going to take over both Anything Goes schools. I can't wait to see how you run them."

"That may be a while," said a slightly nervous Akane, "your father and mine still think we're going to get married one day."

"You got to be kidding me!" said an exasperated Ranma.

"Wish I wasn't," said Akane, "right now our fathers think I've ran to beg you to come back, and that we'll eventually make up and tie the knot."

"Those idiots are really asking for it!" said a now angry Ranma, "what do I have to do? Bash their heads in? Maybe then they'll get a clue."

"Actually," said Akane, "it's being taken care of." She then handed Ranma a letter, which he opened and read.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"It's from my mom," said an astonished Ranma as he read the letter, "she knows that I'm going to the other worlds and she's glad I've made this decision for myself. She's proud that I've decided to seek my own destiny, even if it is somewhere else.

"She's also taking care of dad and Akane's dad. If they don't stop trying to control us, she's going to sue them both for a whole lot of minor crimes, the least of which is trying to get two minors to marry against their will."

"I assume that neglect and abuse of same minors are among the charges?" Adam asked.

"And a whole lot of other stuff," said Ranma, "she actually called her lawyer and asked what needed to be done to get full custody of me in a divorce case," he then laughed, "dad nearly had a heart attack when he heard the word divorce. And mom's getting dad and Mr. Tendo to sign over all rights to the Saotome and Tendo Anything Goes Styles to Akane."

"The schools will be joined," said Akane, "just not the way our fathers thought they would."

"So you really will have your own dojo," said Kairi, "you think you can handle it?"

"I may have a lot of faults," said Akane, "I still can't cook to save my life, and I still can't swim. I may be an uncute tomboy to some people, and a lot of other unpleasant things as well. But if there's one thing I know, it's Martial Arts. At the very least, I can teach the basics to anyone willing to learn."

"Well I think you'd make a great teacher," said Ryoga.

"An outstanding one at that," said Tatewaki.

"One worthy of having a thousand students," said Felicia.

"I'm sure you'll be awe inspiring," said Jean-Louise.

"You really think I'll be a good teacher?" Akane asked in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"You'll be awesome," said Ranma.

"And I'm sure you'll be awesome out there," said Akane.

"Yeah," said Ranma. They both then hugged, "I'm so sorry things didn't work out with us."

"It's not your fault," said Akane, "we never would have been happy together, no matter the situation."

"You're probably right," said Ranma. They then hugged again and broke apart, "so, I'll see you later."

"Later," said Akane in a strained voice that gave away her emotions. She the hastily turned around and ran for the exits, not daring to let Ranma see the tears in her eyes, but Ranma saw them anyway.

"I guess that deep down in a corner of her heart," said Ukyo, "she did love you, and still does, despite everything."

"She wouldn't have stuck with you if she did hate you as much as she said," said Ryoga.

"Guess you're right," said Ranma.

Just then Akane ran back to them. "Oh, Ryoga, since you're staying in America with the others, this may be the last chance I'll get to say this."

"What is it, Akane?" Ryoga asked in a hopeful and nervous tone. Sora and the others could tell that Ryoga's heart was split in half. On one hand, he dared to hope that Akane would be confessing her love for him after all this time and that they would be together from now on, while the other hand was afraid that she would confess her love, but then his new feelings for Jean-Louise would be threatened.

"Just this," said Akane as her face twisted with rage. She then pulled out from nowhere a large wooden mallet and bashed Ryoga on the head, knocking him to the ground in a heap, "That's for all the times you fooled me as P-Chan, you perverted son of a bitch! I let you sleep with me, you freaking, stupid bastard!" She then bashed Ryoga in the head again.

"You knew?" A dazed and very sore, but still coherent, Ryoga asked.

"I figured it out last night," said a still angry but much calmer Akane, "now that my brain and heart are working together, I realize that the similarities between you and my so called pet piglet are too close to just call coincidence." She grabbed Ryoga by the shirt and dragged him up, "I don't hate you, but you had no right to take advantage of me like that, Ryoga Hibiki, and if I ever find out that you take advantage of any other girl like you did with me, I will make you regret it, understand?"

"Oh, he understands alright," said Jean-Louise, "if he knows what's good for him. _Ce n'est pas juste, chéri?_"

"Right, dear," said a rather miserable-sounding Ryoga.

"Okay then," said Akane as she released Ryoga, "then there's nothing more to say, except that I'll see you all later." With that she left.

"There goes one really strange lass," said Kyle, "and I'm not just commenting on her monstrous strength."

"She'll be alright," said Ukyo.

"And if she's not," said Kodatchi, "then she has us to help her." At that Tatewaki, Shampoo and Mousse nodded in agreement.

"And we'll help as well," said Ian, while Adam, Julia, Jean-Louise, Julia and Kyle nodded in agreement.

"We'd better be going to," said Riku, "we'll miss our flight if we wait too long to get through security."

"The price of being safe," said Adam. "It's a pain, but in the long run, worth it."

Everyone then said their goodbyes, while Kairi had some special words for Miley, "we'll be back as soon as we can to help you with the whole Princess of Heart thing."

"I think I'm getting the hang of it already," said Miley, "but thanks for offering."

"And we'll certainly be there for one of your concerts," said Riku, "you're amazing no matter what name you use."

"Well aren't you sweet," said Miley.

"And good luck with Jake," said Aiden, "I've got a feeling that what you two have already been through was just the beginning."

"Oh, they'll be alright," said Kairi, "remember what The Queen said, 'one can see the signs of true love if you know what to look for.' Well I've seen it with my own eyes. Miley and Jake are true loves alright."

"You ain't kidding," said Miley.

"We'll see you later," said Sora. After another quick round of goodbyes, our heroes and Ranma headed for their flight.

"They'll be okay," said Kairi, "all of them."

"I hope so," said Riku.

"Me too," said Aiden, "I wasn't kidding when I said I hoped Miley and Jake would be alright. I've got a rotten feeling that fate is going to test their relationship, and that test will strain their hearts almost to the limit."

"They'll be fine," said Kairi, "and if not, well, we'll just have to come back and make sure that they'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about Miley and Jake," said Sora, "they'll be fine. I'm more worried about what Maleficent is doing to Hades and Ursula. Knowing Maleficent, it isn't good at all."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"You're letting us go?" a confused Hades and Ursula both asked as they stood before Maleficent's dark throne.

"I've decided that you two imbeciles are not worth the effort after all," said Maleficent, "the delivery of thousands of strong Heartless, as well as the creation of a new type, does not compensate for your lack of willing cooperation and overall success. You were to go to that Earth and create havoc among the tournament. Instead you caused that world to realize that one of their many celebrities was their Princess of Heart.

"Even as we speak, the hearts of that world are getting stronger as they listen to the music of that wretched girl. Her voice had the power to bring light to the darkness before she discovered her destiny. Now her music will be even more powerful as the world is slowly but surely filled with the emotions of light; joy, serenity, hope and worst of all, love."

"Would it have made any difference if we didn't try to kill her?" Ursula asked, "the little diva would have discovered her power eventually."

"True," said Maleficent, "the Keyblade Wielders very presence in proximity to that girl awoken her power," she summoned two images, one of Sara Lancaster, the other of Usagi Tuskino, "and now there are three Princess of Heart," the image of Miley appeared next to the ones of Sara and Usagi.

"It is only a matter of time before The Keyblade Alchemist encounters the other four. Once we know the identities of all seven, we shall wait until their powers mature."

"And then we'll get them all at once," said Hades, "you've told us the plan already. So now what? Do we go to another world to get more Heartless?"

"No," said Maleficent, "you two have proven that you cannot work together. Your most grievous fault was allowing that especially powerful Heartless to regain his identity. As if that was a failure in itself, you allowed him to escape to another world, where he can plan at will. Sooner or later that one, Dio Brando, will return and only the darkness knows what damage he will do to both sides."

"So I messed up with one rotten soul," said Hades in a nonchalant tone, "I'll make sure the next one is completely brain dead."

"There will not be a next time," said Maleficent, "when I said that you two were to be freed, I meant, in the first part, that you two will no longer be bound together by magic."

"Now that's freedom in itself!" said Ursula, "I can't tell you how much I've hated being with flame-head here."

"You're no picnic to be around with either, toots!" said Hades.

"Silence!" snapped Maleficent, "I will not be interrupted again! I said that you will be separated, but you will also be punished for your failures! You, Hades, are to be confined to the Underworld, where you shall select dark souls to become Heartless, and you shall remain there until such time as I see fit. So let it be done!" she raised her staff and it flashed bright green.

"Now wait just a damn minute!" said Hades, but then vanished in a flash of green flames.

"Tough luck, hot stuff," said Ursula.

"As for you," said Maleficent, "you are to be frozen alive, while your mind is preserved. Perhaps in such a helpless state, you'll become less indipendent and more compliant to the darkness."

"What?" exclaimed Ursula, but she was too late to prevent Maleficent from blasting her with dark magic, incasing the humanoid sea witch in a block of ice.

"Take that down to one of the dungeons," said Maleficent to a group of nearby goblin servants, "the ice is self preserving, and will only melt on my command."

The goblins bowed and pushed the frozen Ursula out of the throne room.

Just then Rakel walked into the room, "great one," she said as she bowed, "the others and I have finished collecting the items you requested and are ready to begin Synthesis."

"Excellent," said Maleficent as she stood up from her dark throne, "at long last, the subjugation of the Nobodies is at hand."

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Erika asked as she, Konrad and Reddik placed the last of the gathered items on a table in a workroom in the castle.

"It's Maleficent's recipe," said Konrad, "she's to blame if this folly of hers fails."

"And if it does fail," said Reddik, "who do you think Maleficent will blame?"

"Better double check that we have everything," said a nervous Konrad.

"We've checked everything twice already," said Erika, "it all depends on this weirdo here."

Also in the room with the three Hakonians was a Moogle wearing a black coat similar to the ones worn by Organization XIII.

"You sure you can handle this?" Reddik asked the black-coated Moogle.

"If it's a recipe," said the Moogle, "I can Synthesize it, Kupo!"

"I'm surprised you agreed to work for us so easily," said Erika, "aren't your kind usually in the company of our enemies? Especially the Keyblade brats."

"My brothers and I go where there is business, Kupo!" said the Moogle, "if you have the Munny, the items and the recipe, we'll Synthesize for you."

"Well, as long as we're all on the same page here," said Reddik.

At that time Maleficent and Rakel entered the room.

"We are ready to begin, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said Konrad as he, Reddik and Erika hastily bowed.

"We're confident that this venture will be a success," said Reddik.

"For your sakes, it had better," said Maleficent.

"Okay then," said Erika, "let's get this show on the road." she pointed at the Moogle, "do whatever it is you freaks do, and make sure you do it right!"

"My brothers and I pride ourselves on the accuracy and precision of our products," said the hooded Moogle as he began Synthesizing, "Trust me, you'll get what you asked for, Kupo!"

"Just get it done already!" said Erika.

"Everyone's a critic," muttered the Moogle as it finished Synthesizing, "okay! There we go!" he had crafted a large silvery-gray ring made of Orichalcum and Mythril, with small amounts of other precious Items, while for the most part made of a rare element that Maleficent told the Hakonians to find.

"Just put that on the orb of the big lady's staff," said the Moogle as he handed the ring to Rakel, "and it'll make those Nobodies obey like toy soldiers, Kupo!"

"But will it truly work?" Rakel asked as she handed the ring to Maleficent, whom then placed it on the orb of her staff.

"There is only one way to find out," said Maleficent. With that she and the four Hankonians left the room.

"I'm still getting paid extra, right?" the hooded Moogle called after them, "guys? Kupo!"

Reddik stuck his head back into the room, "you'll get your bonus if the damn thing works. If not, then I suggest you make travel arrangements now, just in case." He then hurried to catch up with the others.

"I knew I should have turned left at Albuquerque when I had the chance," said the Moogle.

Maleficent then lead the four Hakonians to one of the dungeons where two Dusks were flinging themselves against the cell walls in a futile effort to escape.

"The creatures are aware that this world is no longer theirs," said Maleficent, "that their benefactors, Xemnes and Organization XIII, no longer exists. Now they shall learn to obey their new masters."

She then aimed her staff at the two Dusks. The ring around the orb began pulsating with dark magic.

The two Nobodies in the cell stopped moving about and looked at Maleficent.

"Looks like you've got their attention," said Erika.

"And now for the true test," said Maleficent, "open the cell!"

A nearby goblin soldier saluted and pressed a hidden button, causing the door in the cell to swing open. But the two Dusks didn't scurry out to freedom. They still stood there, looking at Maleficent.

The sorceress then shouted, "Come forward!"

The two Dusks moved towards Maleficent in their gyrating walk. They stopped before her.

"Whom do you serve?" Maleficent asked.

The zipper mouths of the two Dusks opened as they knelt, "We obey Maleficent," they hissed.

"Excellent!" said Maleficent as she smiled with dark glee, "at long last, the power of The Nobodies is mine!"

"But can they get along with Heartless?" Konrad asked, "I've seen images of the two species having it out. They do not enjoy each others company apparently."

"Let's find out," said Rakel. She then summoned a pair of Soldiers, "you two! Go next to those Dusks and remain at attention!"

The two Soldiers scampered over to the Dusks and stood there, but they kept looking at the Dusks. They fidgeted in place, as if anxious to attack, while the two Dusks also acted like they wanted to fight.

"They seem to be civil enough now," said Reddik, "perhaps they can get along, if only on a professional level."

"That is all that I ask," said Maleficent, "now comes the next step. If we are to harness the full strength of The Nobodies, we shall need more of these controlling items."

"I'll tell that Moogle to make six more," said Konrad.

"There will be a need for more than six," said Maleficent, "you six Hakonians may be the elite of your race, but there are others among your kind whom are eager to serve the darkness."

"That's right," said Rakel, "We six may be among the most powerful of our race, but the others are pretty strong in their own rights."

"Are you saying that you want the others on the front lines in this war against the light?" Konrad asked.

"Precisely," said Maleficent, "you four, along with Katarina and Nikolai, you shall be my generals in the war, while your fellow Hakonains shall be your Lieutenants. The debacle on Earth just now only proves that my former comrades, Hades, Ursula and those other fools, are completely inappropriate for what I have in mind."

"Then the alliance of Villains is broken," said Nikolai as he appeared next to Konrad, "what a remarkable event."

"And just where have you been?" Konrad asked in an accusing tone.

"Completing the task our mistress as set for me," said Nikolai. He then bowed to Maleficent, "great one, I have finished constructing the cell that will contain Happosai. The geriatric pervert is now in his new quarters."

"Excellent," said Maleficent, "is he coherent? Can he hold a conversation without throwing one of his tantrums?"

"He has just enough of what he needs to keep him calm," said Nikolai, "just enough to keep him conscious. I think he will be willing to listen to you, great one."

"Then I shall speak with our guest," said Maleficent. With that she followed Nikolai to another part of the dungeon.

"I still don't get it," said Erika as she, Konrad, Reddik and Rakel followed Maleficent and Nikolai, "why does the boss lady want with that little old pervert?"

"I think we're about to find out," said Reddik

They reached one of the larger dungeon cells where a crystal cage had been assembled. Inside the cage was Happosai, who was sitting on a cot in the middle of the cage. Scattered about the cage were a handful of dirty magazines and a few pieces of women's lingerie.

"Oh, that's right," said Rakel, "this little pervert get's his power from stealing and fondling women's undergarments."

"And molesting women," said a disgusted Erika. She shuddered, "I can still feel his filthy, wrinkled hands on me, just plain sick!"

"He's a hellion alright," said Reddik.

"Happosai of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts," said Maleficent, "how do you like your new accomidations?"

"Stingy," said a disgruntled Happosai, "and the scenery is just plain awful! You know, I've only seen a handful of pretty girls since I got to this coozed-up world? And not one of them wants to go on a date with me."

"Like any girl would want to date you, you perverted prune!" spat Erika.

"Be silent!" hissed Maleficent.

"Yes, great one," said Erika in a submissive tone, as if fearing being punished again.

"So, these are your new minions, huh?" Happosai asked Maleficent, "Last time I saw you, you were still just using goblins and other nasties. Now you're using Heartless as well. 'Course, the last time we met, it was just before you got stuck inside that enchanted sword. How did you get out of that mess anyway?"

"That is a tale that will have to wait for another day," said Maleficent, "yes, it has been a long time, my friend. Tell me, how are you enjoying your dotage?"

"I'm only old if I feel old," said Happosai, "and most days I feel like a teenager."

"You only feel young because you steal energy from young women," said Maleficent, "I've seen through your perversions and have discovered the source of your power. Every time you molest a girl or steal from her, you take away a minute part of her life energy. The loss of energy is so small that the victim has no idea of the theft at all. But that small amount of energy, combined with more energy from other thefts, is enough to keep you revitalized constantly."

"That's how I've been doing it?" a genuinely surprised Happosai asked as he hopped down from the cot and stood next to the crystal bars, "I just thought I was young at heart, and that I was a dirty old man who liked to steal underwear from pretty girls. Then again, my memory has been a bit spotty here and there, so I may have forgotten how I got this power."

"That may be," said Maleficent, "well then, perhaps we can come to an understanding. What if I could help you develop your ability further? What if I showed you how to steal more energy from not just young women, but from men and women of all ages? Not only will your life force be revitalized, but your youth would be restored as well."

"Now that's a tempting offer," said Happosai. He turned around, crossed his arms and sighed, "I've wished to be young again both inside and out so many times. What I wouldn't give to be a lad of 16 again; to have another chance at true happiness." he sighed again, "That was my nickname when I was young, Happy, because I smiled so much."

"You can be Happy again," said Maleficent in a tone that dripped with mock friendship, "you can have that chance to start over. Just swear fealty to me, pledge all your powers and abilities to the darkness, and you shall have all that you wish."

"And be your slave?" an irate Happosai asked as he turned around and glared at Maleficent, "I may be a troublemaker, I may be a pervert and a thief. I may have done a lot of things that most people would call evil, but I know where to draw the line! You, the so called mistress of all evil, you are way beyond that line.

"I knew what you were long ago when you asked me to work for you. I said no then, and I still say no now! Nothing you have to offer me can make me serve you!" With that he stuck out his tongue and pulled down his left eyelid.

"You little old bastard!" spat Nikolai as he activated a curse on the crystal cage. The crystalline bars then blasted Happosai with black lighting, "how dare you insult the great and terrible Maleficent! You shall pay for your insolence!"

"That's quite alright, Nikolai," said Maleficent, "one would expect disrespect from the likes of Happosai."

"As you wish, great one," said Nikolai as he released the curse. The black lighting stopped, leaving a smoking but still conscious Happosai on the floor of the cage.

"Nice company you keep," said Happosai as he stood up and brushed himself off, "what'd you offer them? Full dental and medical coverage?"

"We serve Maleficent because she is the one who will cover all of existence in darkness," said Nikolai, "we Hakonians live only to serve Maleficent!"

"Remind me to never count on Nikolai to help us in a pinch," whispered Rakel to Reddik, "he's no good to us if things go sour for us."

"I'll remember," said Reddik in a hushed tone.

"You may think that you have a limit to your foul deeds, my friend," said Maleficent, "but in truth, you have so much potential. It is a shame that it must be wasted."

"Then let me go, you pale-eyed bitch!" spat Happosai, "get me out of this cage so I can go back to my world! I've got some scores to settle there!"

"I'm afraid that is out of the question," said Maleficent, "you're too much of a lose cannon to be allowed to roam free; you might just side with my enemies."

"So that's it then?" Happosai asked, "you're just going to keep me here until I die?"

"No," said Maleficent, "you will live, and you will continue to live, for you will be supplied with the materials needed to keep your life force active, but just enough so that you don't age any further, yet fail to regain your full strength.

"Yet I wonder how long you will last? How long can the great Happosai stand to be without fresh young women to molest? How long can you last without pulling any childish pranks? How long can you last without making an innocent suffer?

"I know what it is you truly desire, and I intend to make sure that you do not receive it. How long can you last before your perversions drive you to break your will and submit to me?"

"A damn long time, that's for sure!" exclaimed Happosai defiantly, "I'll never serve you!"

"We shall see, my friend," said Maleficent, "We shall see." With that she turned and headed for the door. She stopped at the doorway. Outside were several goblin soldiers, as well as several Soldier-type Heartless and one Sergeant-type, "Make sure he has only what he needs to survive, and nothing more."

The goblins and Heartless saluted and set about guarding Happosai, who stood there in his cell glaring defiantly at Maleficent.

"Just how long do you think the old bastard can last, anyway?" Erika asked as she and the other Hakonians followed Maleficent back to the throne room.

"As long as he can," said Reddik, "with that old man, his perversions are like an addiction. He may thing himself strong enough to tolerate the withdraw, but in the end he will give in, if only for just one fix."

"At which time Maleficent will subvert his will," said Nikolai, "and the darkness will gain another minion to serve the true mistress of all evil."

"You really are a piece of work, Nikolai," said an irate Konrad, "just because you're the strongest magic user among us, doesn't make you better. You were born in the peasant cast, and that's what you will always be, despite how much of a brown noser you've become."

"And you're snobbish superiority complex will be your undoing, Konrad," said Nikolai as he and the other Hakonians stopped in the middle of the hallway, "while Reddik's insanity, Rakel's obsessions and Erika's stubbornness will destroy them in the end."

"You think you know us so well," said Rakel, "well what about you, Nikolai Shadowstalker? What's your great flaw that could possibly destroy you?"

"That's my dirty little secret, Rakel Mindblighter," said Nikolai, "and nothing you or the others can say or do will ever make me disclose that secret."

"We'll see about that," muttered Erika.

Just then Pete came running up towards them, looking very frightened. "You gotta hide me!" he said as he skidded to a halt beside Reddik and Rakel, "she's tryin' to kill me!"

"Who's trying to kill you?" Erika asked.

From around a corner down the hallway came Katarina's voice, "Oh Fluffy! Where are you?"

"She's gonna make me wear pink again!" exclaimed Pete, "please, hide me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

"Oh, I thought it was something else," said Erika in a bored tone, "well, far from me to keep Katarina from her new pet."

"At least Katarina's staying out of our business," said Konrad.

"You two are really stupid, you know that?" Reddik asked. He then looked at Pete, "consider this payment for keeping Rakel safe for as long as you did." He then cast an invisibility spell on Pete.

He was complete transparent by the time Katarina ran up the hallway and saw the five Hakonians, "oh, hi, guys! Have you seen Fluffy? We're supposed to go shopping together, and I know this really nice store that sells all-pink outfits for people and pets!"

"You really do have a one-track mind, Katarina," said an annoyed Rakel.

"Well of course, silly," said a smiling Karatina, "if I had two tracks, I'd sell one and make the other go faster. So, have you seen Fluffy anywhere?"

"Yeah, he's right over…" said Erika, but Rakel knocked her aside.

"No," said Rakel, "haven't seen him."

"Try the outside of the castle," said Reddik, "you know how cats love to climb all over the place."

"Okay, I'll look outside," said Katarina. The then stopped and looked at her fellow Hakonians in a thoughtful manner, "Oh, you know, we're all together now."

"Well look who had finally mastered memory association," said a sarcastic Konrad.

"She means that this is the first time since we first arrived on this world that we are all in each other's presence," said Nikolai, "and yes, it has been a long time."

"We'd all be together," said Reddik, "if those Keyblade brats hadn't killed Ulrik."

"I miss Ulrik," pouted Katarina, "he was nice to me."

"Yeah right," said Erika, "he was only nice to you so you'd choose him as your husband."

"That's silly!" giggled Katarina, "I'm not getting married any time soon. I'm very happy being single. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find Fluffy before we're late for our appointment at the beauty parlor." With that she skipped down the corridor and turned the corner.

"There goes the strongest and weakest of us all," said Reddik as he deactivated the invisibility spell, revealing Pete again.

"Thanks a million," said Pete as he sighed with relief, "I don't know how much longer I'll last with that crazy girl. And the wife will kill me if I come home lookin' all pink again."

"I didn't know you were married," said Rakel.

"Long story," said Pete. He then looked at Reddik, "what'd you mean 'bout that crazy girl being both strong and weak?"

"Katarina is weak due to her lack of intelligence," said Nikolai, "but strong in terms of physical power. If she only had half a brain instead of just a fraction of one, she's be our unofficial Queen."

"Thank the everlasting darkness she isn't," said Erika, "otherwise we'd be all wearing pink," she shuddered in disgust, "I hate pink."

"The feeling is mutual," said an annoyed Rakel as they all headed for the throne room, "remind me why we didn't assassinate that idiot Katarina when we had the chance?"

"Because of the off chance that we might need her someday," said Reddik.

"Oh," said Rakel.

By then the five Hakonians and Pete had reached the throne room.

"Forgive our tardiness, great one," said Reddik, "we were delayed."

"You are forgiven, this time," said Maleficent. "Now that those two pieces of business are tabled, we can move on to another issue," she summoned an image of Ranma, "The Child of Chaos."

"That guy?" Rakel asked, "isn't he the one who's cursed so that cold water turns him into a girl?"

"What an interesting piece of magic," said Konrad as he smiled wickedly, "and what interesting experimentation this would make, especially at close quarters, if you know what I mean."

"You're depraved," said an offended Rakel, "I ought to throw you into that crystal cage with the old man!"

"Admit it," said Konrad, "you find me fascinating."

"In a slug's eye she does!" spat Reddik.

"Silence!" snapped Maleficent, "if you Hakonians are going to waste time with your petty squabbling, then you can indeed take up residence in the dungeons!"

"I didn't say anything," said Erika in a placating tone, "I was just minding my business."

"Of course you were," said Nikolai, "but as to the original topic of this conversation; Maleficent, why is this young martial artist, Ranma Saotome, of interest to you? And why do you call him the Child of Chaos?"

"Because that is what he is," said Maleficent, "wherever Ranma Saotome goes, chaos is soon to follow, be it minor disruptions in the day-to-day lives of those around him, to full scale wars. That is his latent power, to disrupt the course of destiny."

"So, he's kinda like a Keyblade Wielder," said Pete, "those brats are always meddlin' in things that aren't none of their business."

"Precisely," said Maleficent, "but where a Keyblade Wielder changes destiny by their own choice, due to their profession, The Child of Chaos has no control over his ability. For better or for worse, he brings change and discord wherever he goes.

"And now he is to travel with The Keyblade Wielders. Who knows what manner of bedlam will follow in his wake among the worlds? Perhaps it is this chaos that will prove to our advantage."

"You mean that you want to use Ranma Saotome as a weapon?" Reddik asked.

"Precisely!" said Maleficent, "if we can channel his ability to bring chaos and discord , we can deliver a blow against those who walk in The Light the likes of which the universe has never seen before! We can destroy The Keyblade Wielders and all of their allies in one swift stroke!"

"I'll begin constructing a plan to capture Ranma and corrupt him to the darkness immediately, great one," said Nikolai.

"Brown noser," muttered Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad.

Just then something very odd happened. Multi-colored blotches began appearing on the walls of the throne room.

"What the hell?" a confused Erika asked, "mold?"

"Not even in the worst of environments does mold grow this fast," said Rakel.

"Damn it all to hell!" spat Konrad, "I just cleaned the walls!" he then blinked in surprise, "wait, why do I care about that?"

"Is it me, or are those colors forming words?" Reddik asked.

"They are forming words," said Erika.

The splotches began condensing into words, three words repeated hundreds of times across the walls of the throne room…

**L. Lawlett Lives**

"Who the hell is L. Lawlett?" Erika asked.

"I've been asking that myself for some time now," said Nikolai as he remembered the writing in the sky a few months ago.

"Beat's me," said Pete, "but Maleficent seems to know."

The five Hakonians and Pete then saw Maleficent glaring at the words on the walls, her face twisted with rage.

Just then a goblin servant ran into the room, "great one! These words are appearing all over the castle!"

"Then scrub them off the walls!" spat Maleficent. She then used her staff to blast the walls with purple lighting, but the dark magic did nothing to erase the words. Pete, Rakel, Erika, Konrad and Reddik had to duck to avoid being hit by the dark lighting.

"This is nothing but some fool's foolish idea of a prank!" spat Maleficent as she continued to blast the walls, but hr efforts were in vain, "and that fool will pay with his life for his insolence! He will pay!"

By then the five Hakonians and Pete managed to reach the doorway, while Maleficent continued to throw her tantrum.

"What the freaking hell was that all about?" exclaimed Rakel.

"It looks that someone has a grudge against Maleficent," said Reddik as he saw the multi-colored words on the corridor walls, all of them saying 'L. Lawlett Lives.'

"Whoever this is must want to drive Maleficent completely insane," said Erika as she smiled wickedly, "I like him already."

"I'll ignore that traitorous remark," said Nikolai, "now if you will excuse me, I have an obviously complicated piece of magic to examine. Whomever sent this message must be well adapt in the mystic arts. It will take some time to learn what was done." With that he left Rake, Konrad, Erika, Reddik and Pete alone in the corridor.

"I'll say it again," said Reddik, "we can't count on Nikolai if we're going to make a move against Maleficent."

"He's completely loyal to that pale-eyed bitch," said Erika, "and Katarina won't be any help either."

"Just the four of us won't be enough to bring Maleficent down," said Reddik, "we'll need help."

"Looks like you could be part of that help," said Rakel to Pete.

"Um…I…err…that is," sputtered Pete.

"We'll talk about Pete later," said Konrad, "but right now I'm curious as to who this L. Lawlett is. If his very name is enough to drive Maleficent insane, then he could be the ally we seek."

* * *

…Disney Castle…

King Mickey and Queen Minnie stood in the castle library, speaking to the transparent image of Ansem the Wise, the scholarly sage who was responsible for so much of all that had happened, whom had also atoned for his sins during the final battle against Organization XIII and sacrificed himself in the process.

But Ansem had survived the final battle and was now living in secret on The World that Never Was, covertly delivering messages from an unknown benefactor.

"So you used magical paint that can't be washed off?" King Mickey asked.

"The harder they scrub," said Ansem, "the more brightly the words will shine. The same will happen if magic is used to remove the words. Eventually the paint will wear away on its own, but not for at least several weeks. By which time Maleficent will have been driven up the walls completely."

"And the words are written all over New Hollow Bastion," said Queen Minnie, "everyone there will know that L. Lawlett lives."

"But we still don't know who L. Lawlett is," said The King, "or if we can trust him, if he's really alive at all."

"I'm still in the dark about L. Lawlett as you are, my friend," said Ansem, "if I receive any new information, you will be the first to know. Until then I will carry on and deliver the messages as they arrive to me."

"But how much longer will you have to do that?" The Queen asked, "how much longer before you're asked to do something so dangerous that you'll get caught?"

"That is a matter for tomorrow," said Ansem, "for now I am perfectly safe. I never stay in the same hiding place for more than a day at a time, and they're always in places the enemy would least look. All I can do is live each day at a time and try my best. Eventually I will have to leave this terrible place and return to the Realms of Light."

"We'll be waiting for you," said King Mickey, "good luck, Ansem."

"And good luck to you, my friends," said Ansem. With that his image faded out of existence.

"Just how much longer will he stay there on that dark world?" Queen Minnie asked.

"As long as it takes for him to feel like he's paid for his crimes," said King Mickey, "as far as I know, he's already atoned for every wrong, but Ansem still needs to forgive himself, and that may take a long time."

"If anyone deserves peace of mind," said Queen Minnie, "it's him. If only we could tell Sora and the others that Ansem is alive, then they could tell Ansem that he's been forgiven."

"But we promised Ansem that we wouldn't tell Sora, Riku or Kairi," said King Mickey, "and speaking of our friends, they'll be here soon with their new friend, so we'd better get ready."

* * *

…Destiny Islands…

"This place is paradise!" said Ranma as he walked on the beach of the island where Sora, Riku and Kairi spent their vacation before the whole mess with The Heartless and other worlds began.

"It's cool alright," said Aiden as he, Riku, Sora and Kairi walked next to Ranma.

"I'm serious," said Ranma, "I've been all over the world with my pops, and this is the best place I've ever been in."

"If you think out home is cool," said Sora, "then you haven't seen anything yet."

He, Riku, Kairi and Aiden then showed Ranma to the dock and they all walked out to the small island with the Paopu fruit tree.

"This is basically where it all started for us," said Riku, "where our journey began."

"Mine started on another world completely," said Aiden, "but that's just me."

"And here's where your journey starts anew," said Kairi to Ranma.

"Okay," said Sora as they all stood next to the Paopu tree, "here we go." he, Riku, Kairi and Aiden summoned their Keyblades and concentrated on their magic. Very soon, a portal appeared.

"Whoa!" said an amazed Ranma.

"That's just the beginning," said Sora. He and Kairi walked through the portal.

"You scared?" Aiden asked Ranma as Riku walked into the portal.

"In your dreams maybe," said Ranma as he stepped through the portal, followed by Aiden and then the portal closed up.

Sora and the others were in the throne room of Disney Castle. Already waiting for them was Donald and Goofy.

"You're back!" said Donald and he and Goofy ran up to our heroes.

"Did ya' miss us?" Goofy asked.

"You better believe it," said Sora, "Oh, Donald, Goofy, this is Ranma. He's going to be traveling with us for a while.

"Hello," said Donald to Ranma.

"Nice to meet you," said Goofy.

"A talking duck and an…an…" said an astonished Ranma as he looked at Donald and Goofy, "and an I don't know what. Cool."

Just then King Mickey and Queen Minnie walked in.

"We just heard that you are here," said The King, "welcome back!"

"We're glad to be back, your majesty," said Kairi as she, Riku, Sora and Aiden bowed.

"Did you watch the tournament?" Riku asked.

"We saw all of it," said Queen Minnie, "you all are outstanding warriors, even Aiden."

"I still say it wasn't my fault I lost in that last round of the prelims!" said an irate Aiden, "if I ever find that idiot with the camera, I'll make him eat it, film and all!"

"Well, regardless of that," said The King, "you all did a swell job."

"We sure did," said Sora, "we made a lot of friends and helped a lot of people get their lives in order."

"And helped most of those people find their soul mates," said Kairi, "and helped one particular person realize his own self worth."

"Your majesties," said Riku, "this is Ranma."

"Um…nice to meet you," said Ranma as he nervously bowed to The King and Queen.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Ranma," said The Queen. "We also saw you fight during the tournament, and you are amazing."

"I'm not that special," said Ranma in a modest tone.

"You really are," said King Mickey, "you have to be special. You helped Akane get her heart back."

"You saw that," said Ranma, "well, I did help, but the real hero then was Miley."

"Miley is special," said Queen Minnie, "more so than she and her friends realize. She's just begun to realize her destiny as a Princess of Heart."

"That reminds me," said Aiden, "we saw Maleficent; she knows about Miley."

"And chances are that the enemy knows about Sara and Usagi as well," said Riku. And most likely they'll know about the other four when we find them."

"Well, we'll worry about that when it's time to worry about that," said The King. "but right now we've got a new friend to get to know," he then held out his hand to Ranma, "welcome to the club, Ranma."

"I'm glad to be here," said Ranma as he shook King Mickey's hand.

"This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship," said Roxas as he appeared next to Sora.

"And the beginning of a new life of freedom and adventure," said Naminé as she appeared next to Kairi.

"Since when can you come out like that?" Sora asked.

"We can come out whenever we feel like it," said Naminé as she held Roxas's hand, "but we can't stay out for long."

"Well as long as you enjoy your time, it's okay with me," said Kairi.

"Who are those two!" a surprised Ranma asked as he pointed at Roxas and Naminé.

"It's a long story," said Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Roxas and Naminé at the same time.

**The end of Volume 7**

Wow! This has been the biggest, most epic volume yet. And if you thought this fic was awesome, wait till the next one comes. In the next one, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, and now with Ranma, and with Donald and Goofy rejoining the party, travel to the universe of W.I.T.C.H. in order to restore the rightful course of destiny, which has been subverted by The Heartless. And so, stay tuned for Beyond the Door to Light Volume 8: The Magic of Five

See you then!


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